Solo Saga: Hazel's Mission
by VibeQuake
Summary: My name is Hazel the Platypus and I am the oldest daughter of OWCA's top agent. I've been chosen for an undercover mission: befriend two pets and live in luxury for a few months while investigating their rich owner for major jewel thefts. But it gets complicated for me when I start to forget I'm only on a mission. (some things may not make sense if read as standalone)
1. New Agent, New Mission

**Hey, hey, everybody! Welcome to my brand new story: Hazel's Mission :) In case you couldn't tell, this story is all about Hazel :) yay!**

 **Disclaimer: any character you recognise is not mine. Any character you do recognise belongs to me.**

 **Oh, and this story takes place three years after the end of Teddy's Adulthood.**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

On all fours, I sprint through the wet streets of Danville in hot pursuit of a LOVEMUFFIN scientist. The other agent on the mission, Parker the Hyena, puffs along behind me. I am a lot more athletic than Parker, so that's why I'm pulling ahead. The scientist is obviously quite athletic too; he has a big head start on the two of us, though I'm closing the gap fast. Behind me, I can hear Parker's footsteps growing quieter as my friend falls back a little. People on the streets dive out of our way.

We reach a T-junction. Cars are on either side of it, and there is no way he can go over them. There is a tall building directly in front of us. I'm fairly confident we can stop the scientist here but I'm wrong. Without losing speed, the scientist leaps onto a passing car's roof and uses it to push himself into the air. He sails over the traffic and bounces off several car roofs on his way. He then meets the side of the building. Using the pipes, he shimmies gracefully up the building and reaches the roof.

 _That guy's acrobatic_ , I think.

However, acrobatics have never fazed me before and they certainly won't start now.

All the cars have stopped, all the occupants watching our chase. I jump and take the same route over the cars that the scientist took. I hear Parker let out, "what the hell-?" as I catch the pipes and work my way upwards slightly less gracefully than the scientist did.

I get to the top of the building and come face to face with the scientist who, from the look of surprise on his face, had evidently not expected to be followed by anyone, much less a platypus.

I'm hanging onto the building with my arms and hands but the hard kick the scientist gives me makes me lose my grip. Before I fall, I grip the edge of the roof with my hand.

I am now only a handhold away from death.

I look down and see that OWCA has already cordoned off the area and are setting up a net to catch anyone who falls.

The scientist can't see the fire net, though. As far as the scientist can see, either he would get away and I would fall to my death, or he would get away and I would try and chase him but would lose him.

However, I have seen a weakness in the scientist's plan, and I have subsequently formulated my own plan that will result in the scientist's capture and my own safety.

As the scientist makes to stand on my hand to make me fall, I swing my other hand up and grab hold of the scientist's trainer laces. Off balance, the scientist slips and both of us go tumbling down.

"You idiot!" the scientist snaps. "Now we're both going to die!"

I don't waste my breath replying. I know the scientist is wrong. Sure enough, the net catches and envelops us, holding us about half a metre off the ground. Seven uniformed human OWCA agents immediately dive on the scientist and, pushing him to the ground, cuff him. I slide off the net to the ground, breathing heavily from the running and jumping.

Parker comes up to me, breathing heavily. "That was impressive," he pants.

"Thanks," I beam. "I'm proud of myself."

"And so you should be." Parker grins at me. "That was impressive."

"You already said that," I giggle.

Parker pales. "Oh, I did. Sorry."

I giggle again. "You're cute when you're embarrassed."

"Are you flirting?" Parker asks in a slightly flirtatious way.

"Maybe," I say in the exact same tone.

Parker looks over my shoulder. "Whoops. Here comes your boss man."

I turn. Coming up to me is my former supervising officer, the person who trained me for my six month probation period (which I passed about two years ago).

"I'll see you back at HQ," Parker says as he disappears.

I look down at my former SO, Lennie the Chameleon, who chides me, "What have I told you before?"

"To look before I leap?"

Lennie tuts. "You know what I mean."

I nod. "Yes I do. Sorry," I add as an afterthought.

Lennie also nods. "That's all right for now, but you may have to explain yourself to Major Monogram."

Major Monogram calls for Lennie at that moment. "You should go," I advise him.

Lennie says, "Yes I should. Why don't you head back to HQ?"

"Okay. See you back at the station." I turn to walk away.

"And Hazel?" Lennie calls after me.

I turn, looking down at my former SO. "Yes?"

"Good job. We're one step closer to snagging every LOVEMUFFIN member left."

…

 **Okay, so Parker is Hazel's friend, and Lennie is Hazel's former SO! Also sorry for the length of the chapter but it's more of a prologue to the actual story :)**


	2. After The Mission

**Here comes some new characters :) also I do not own Pac-Man**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

I flop down in my chair in my office. I'm really tired after all that excitement. I look up at the large photo on my wall that I had printed three years ago. It shows my family and housemates outside our house: Mom, who's holding my little sister Quinn; Dad; my brother Teddy; his mate Piper; my grandmother Pearl; and our friends Lyla, Apollo, and Artemis.

I can't believe how much Quinn has changed. She used to be such an energetic baby, but now that she's three years old, she's grown artsy and quiet.

Someone knocks on the door of my cubicle. I swing round in my chair to see one of my three best friends standing there. "Hi Chelsea."

The cheetah comes in and sits on my desk. "How'd the mission go?" she asks.

"Fine," I answer absently, playing a game of Pac-Man on my computer.

The screen suddenly goes black. I look up at Chelsea to find that she's switched the monitor off. "Why'd you do that?" I demand.

"Because the mission did not go "fine", as you claim," Chelsea says, with an expression that's hard to read. Then her face breaks into a smile. "It was awesome! Lennie and Parker were singing your praises!"

"I just chased a bad guy," I say. "No biggie."

" _And_ apprehended him," points out Chelsea, swinging her legs. "By the way, Noah wants your autograph."

"No he doesn't."

"You're right, he doesn't. I only said that because he's coming over here right now."

Sure enough, a moment later, our friend the falcon flies over our heads and lands on the cubicle wall. "Congratulations on your successful mission," he says in his monotone voice.

"You know, Parker was there too," I say, a trace of annoyance creeping into my voice.

"Since you were the one who actually apprehended the suspect, and as Parker is currently not in the vicinity, I endeavoured to congratulate you first. When Parker is in the vicinity, I shall endeavour to congratulate him too."

This is how Noah always talks. It sometimes annoys us.

"Speak of the devil…" says Chelsea, craning her neck to look around the corner of the cubicle.

Parker comes into my office at that moment, looking tired but happy.

"Congratulations on your successful mission," Noah tells him.

Parker looks slightly surprised. "Thanks, but Hazel did most of the work."

Noah looks at me, his face showing the beginnings of smugness. It's the most emotion I've seen on his face since we started our training.

"I just sorted out all the paperwork," Parker reports, leaning lazily against the wall. "That scientist's more than glad to squeal on the rest of his buddies."

"That's not cowardly at all," remarks Chelsea sarcastically. "But I guess it's good for us."

"It's not cowardly," Parker argues. "He's doing the right thing."

"It's also a little bit cowardly," persists Chelsea.

"So who's left?" I ask. "Of LOVEMUFFIN, I mean."

"There are at least two dozen that we have not yet captured," says Noah. "Including the three big bosses: Professor von Roddenstein, Doctor Bloodpudding, and Doctor Rodrigo."

"Rodrigo…I haven't heard from him in a while," I comment.

"He's been laying low since he joined LOVEMUFFIN two years ago," explains Noah.

"Hey, is Eden coming?" asks Chelsea.

"She should be," I answer. "She was at the hospital earlier because her mother just gave birth to triplets."

"Isn't Eden herself one of triplets?" asks Parker.

"Twins, actually," Noah corrects him. "She has a twin sister named Zara."

"Oh yes," Parker remembers. "She told us before."

"Her poor mother," Chelsea comments. "Having to give birth to five children now."

"Black panthers often give birth to between one and four children at once," Noah tells us.

Apparently, Chelsea's interest in our conversation disappears. "Hey, you guys wanna go to a movie later?" she asks.

"What's on?" Parker inquires.

The cheetah shrugs. "I dunno. I just want something to do."

"We could go ice skating," I suggest. "We haven't been in a while. The public skate is five 'til seven, and you know how empty it often is."

"I'm down for ice skating." Parker raises his hand.

"For one with talons such as my own, I believe it would be best if I did not actually skate," Noah says matter-of-factly. "However, I will be happy to accompany you to the venue and keep seats in the viewing area."

"You gonna get some coffee or something and watch the rest of us skate?" Chelsea asks.

"I do prefer a hot cup of Darjeeling," says Noah. "But otherwise, yes."

"What on earth is Darjeeling?"

I answer Chelsea's question. "It's a make of tea."

"Why would they have more than one make? Tea is tea, right?"

"Absolutely," smiles Noah. "Perhaps later I will order you some coffee. Would you prefer espresso, latte, Macchiato, or Cappuccino?"

Chelsea rolls her eyes. "Point taken."

Parker and I grin at each other. "Score Noah," I say quietly to him.

At that moment, a black panther standing on two legs knocks on the wall. "Hey, you guys are all here!"

"Eden! How's your mom?" Parker asks.

"She's doing great," beams Eden. "I have two new brothers and one new sister. They're called Cole, Owen, and Sarah."

"Give your parents our congratulations," Chelsea says warmly. "Are you coming ice skating later?"

"Oh, sure. That'd be great."

The bell goes to signify the end of the work day. Noah takes off and Chelsea and Eden leave the office.

Parker smiles at me. "That really was a successful mission," he says. "You're a natural at this."

"Thanks."

There's an ever so slightly awkward silence. "So…after ice skating…do you want to get dinner?"

I bite my lower beak. "Parker, are you asking me out?"

"Um…" Parker hesitates. "Would it be awkward for you if I said yes?"

"Not if it would be awkward for you if I said yes," I answer with a smile.

"So…is that a yes?"

I rub the side of my face. "It is a yes, Parker."

Parker's face splits into a grin. "Oh, great! I'll…um…I'll see you at ice skating then."

"I guess you will," I say flirtatiously.

As Parker leaves my office, I fist pump the air.

 **Parker's POV**

As I leave Hazel's office, I fist pump the air.

…

 **So do you like Hazel's friends? Also PARKER AND HAZEL ARE GOING ON A DATE! Just be warned: just because they're going on a date, doesn't necessarily mean they'll end up together :/**


	3. Ice Skating

**Get ready to meet _**

…

 **Chelsea's POV**

I skate past Parker just as the hyena wobbles and falls onto his behind on the hard, cold ice. I grin backwards at my friend. "Not the best skater, are you?" I call.

"How'd you work that out?" grumbles Parker, struggling to stand up.

Hazel helps him accomplish this.

I look up at the café, where I can just see the small shape of Noah, pecking at a cup of tea. I turn and skate backwards around the outer ring of the rink.

"Chelsea, look out!"

I hear Eden's warning too late. I suddenly slam into something soft and fall backwards. "Eden!"

"I tried to warn you," says Eden, rubbing her bottom.

Hazel skids to a stop next to us. "By the way, in a minute, my brother's dropping by with Piper, Paige, and Quinn."

"Who's Paige?" I ask.

Hazel gives me a look. "Chels, you do know I've been an aunt for a year and a half, right?"

"Su-ure," I say, grinning sheepishly. "Now I do."

"Dude, even I know that," Eden says, getting to her feet. "And I'm the world's most distracted-oh my god there's a Zamboni in the shape of a sheep!"

She skates off excitedly. "Fun fact: that's an abominable snowman, not a sheep," I say.

"Hazel!" calls a voice.

 **Hazel's POV**

I skate over to the side of the rink, open the door, and clumsily head over to my older brother. "Teddy!"

We hug. "Hello Hazel," says my brother's mate.

"Hi Piper," I smile warmly.

"Auntie Hazel!" shrieks a tiny voice.

In my Piper's arms is my niece. She's a year and a half old now. She somehow inherited her grandmother's purple fur colour, which must skip a generation because neither Teddy nor I nor Quinn has her purple fur. Quinn has Dad's teal fur, I have silver fur, and Teddy has green fur.

I bend down so I can see my niece and say in an exaggerated tone, "How come your mommy's carrying you? I thought you could walk!"

"I can! I can!" yells Paige, scrabbling in her mother's arms.

"How is it that she listens to you?" Piper sighs good-naturedly. "We tried to get her to walk but she wouldn't."

"I want to skate, Mommy!" Paige wriggles around until Piper puts her down. Then she runs towards the skate dispenser.

My younger sister, who's been standing behind Teddy until now, follows. "Wait for me!" she yells.

"You'd think Quinn was the younger one," I comment amusedly. "How's things with her?"

When Paige was born, Teddy and Piper moved with her into their own house, anticipating more children.

"She's made a new best friend," Teddy replies. "Kimi and Luke moved in next door and their youngest child is only a year old. Not only are they best friends, but they have the added bonus of being cousins too."

"What's the child's name?" I ask.

"Lokie," Piper answers. "With an "e" on the end. The female version of the name Loki, the Norse god of mischief."

"And is she mischievous?" I inquire.

"Very," grins Piper. "She gets into all sorts of trouble, and she's beginning to drag Paige into it too."

"Hey guys!" yells Chelsea's voice. "Less talky, more skaty!"

I turn back to my friends and skate back onto the ice. Parker and I link hands and spin round on the cold ice, laughing. I see Teddy and Piper skating with little Paige, while Quinn stumbles around and falls over on the ice. Chelsea and Eden have a race which inevitably leads to a massive pile-up involving both of them plus Parker and I.

However, we don't care. We all just lie there and laugh.

"Hazel!" comes a booming voice.

I roll to my feet and spot Noah perched on the edge of the rink. "Everything okay, Noah?"

"I have received a message from Major Monogram. You have been summoned back to HQ to receive a mission."

…

 **So who loves Paige? *raises hand* I do! Also what could the mission be? The story is finally kicking off!**

 **Author's Note: Paige was actually created for me by Nightflame203**


	4. The Eponymous Mission

**So sorry this took so long! My laptop was away being fixed with this chapter on it, and I was working more on my BOWCA story. Hope it's worth the wait!**

…

As I sit outside Major Monogram's office, waiting to be called in, I can't shake the uneasy feeling of sitting outside the principal's office knowing that I've done something wrong. I should be feeling excited, right?

"Hazel!"

I look up to see one of my dad's friends, Victoria the Dalmatian, standing in front of me.

"Hi Victoria."

"What are you sitting outside the principal's office?" she grins.

I laugh. "That's how I felt! I'm waiting for a mission, apparently. How's your son?" I ask politely.

"He's fine." Victoria smiles. "Pinky's looking after him. It's his turn."

"Still split up, then?"

"Very much so."

"Ah. What's Clive like? I've never met him."

"He's already chewing things he shouldn't be," Victoria says, only half disapproving. "And making messes. Well, that's puppies for you. Especially Dalmatian puppies."

"So he's a Dalmatian?" I say.

Victoria nods. "He's most likely going to inherit Pinky's colour scheme. A pink Dalmatian with black spots. That's going to go down well."

At that moment, the door to Major Monogram's office opens and Carl pokes his head out. "We're ready for you, Agent Hazel."

Waving goodbye to my father's friend, I enter the office. Speaking of my father, he and Mom are sitting in chairs in front of Major Monogram's desk. There is a third chair in the middle of them, and this is where I park myself. Mom and Dad exchange a look over my head, one that I do not miss.

"I'll cut straight to the chase," begins Major Monogram. "We have a long-duration mission for you."

"How long of a duration?" I ask with a sideways glance at my parents, wondering how much they already know.

Monogram seems to read my thoughts. "Your parents know as much as you at the moment. I thought it fitting to give all the details to all three of you at once. And to answer your question, it will be about four to six months."

"That's ages!" I burst out.

Monogram nods. "I know." He aims a remote at the screen behind him, which lights up with a picture of a rich-looking man. "Do you know who this is?"

I shake my head. Dad puts his paw up. "Are you asking us too, sir?"

"Yes, Agent P."

"I know who he is," says Mom. "That's Theodore Barde. He's the richest jewel merchant in the world."

"Correct." Monogram points the remote at her. "We suspect that he is acquiring his jewels through thefts, since a day or so after a jewel store is robbed, Barde makes a sale."

"That's pretty incriminating," Mom comments. "Hasn't anyone been able to prove it's him?"

"No, and that's the worrying part. All the jewels that are sold by Barde are non-major jewels that could have been purchased by him, yet it can't be coincidence that jewellery shops are robbed just twenty-four hours before he makes a sale."

"Hell of a coincidence," remarks Dad.

"We have a theory that the major jewels being stolen from jewellery shops are sold on a black market that Barde owns and runs, but we don't have any proof. That's where you come in." He points the remote at me. Then he presses a button and the image changes to two platypuses. One is female with dark brown fur and the other is male with light blue fur. "Do you know who these two are?"

I shake my head again but Mom speaks up again: "They're Barde's two pets. I don't know their names."

"Correct again. Their names are irrelevant at this point, but their role is not. Barde has a famous fondness for platypuses, and he's planning to adopt a new platypus for a pet, according to our source."

"Your source?" I repeat, speaking for the first time in a while. "Who's your source?"

"I'm not officially allowed to say, but just between you and me, her initials are KD."

"Kata Doofenshmirtz!" realises Dad. "I wondered where Kata went for five months!"

"Indeed. Mrs Doofenshmirtz has been working under the guise of Rachel Newman as Mr Barde's assistant secretary. Unfortunately, he only trusts a select few with the details of his sales. However, she has told me about his plan to adopt a new pet. That's why we need you to go undercover as that pet, in order to secure undeniable proof that he is behind the jewel thefts."

"Why me?" I ask. "Why not Mom or Dad?"

"He wants a younger platypus."

"Teddy?"

"He wants a female."

"Piper?"

"Piper has a child to look after."

I rack my brain, trying to think of any more female platypuses at OWCA. Apart from Quinn, who's too young, I can't think of any.

"You'll be living in luxury," Monogram adds. "Barde is very rich and he spoils his pets who, incidentally, are allowed to behave like humans."

"You mean like we are now?" asks Mom.

"Yes, though not in public. You don't have to behave any differently around him than you do around us. One thing: the two pets do not have translators. You will only be able to understand your own species. That's why if you choose to accept this mission, three times a week, you will be making a call to your parents and reporting. Then they can report to me, rather than you reporting straight to me, as you will not be allowed a translator. Understood?"

I swallow. "Understood."

"So will you accept the mission?" Monogram asks.

I steal a glance at Mom, who addresses Major Monogram. "How dangerous is the mission? On our usual scale?"

The "usual scale" is from 0-10. 0 means no danger at all, 5 means risk of some injury, and 10 means high chance of death. There is the value 11 but that's only used for kamikaze missions.

"Carl?" says Monogram.

The intern, who's been watching our briefing, comes forward. "I calculate the danger on this mission of being exactly five, sir."

Mom grimaces. In the past, she's been wary of me going on any longer missions—ones that take longer than a day—although she has one official rule: I'm not allowed to go on any mission if it's above a seven in rating. I can tell she doesn't want me to go on this mission, and she's trying to come up with a suitable excuse. I chip in, "Mom, it's fine. I'm an adult now."

"It's not that…"

Mom throws a glance at Dad, who explains, "You've never been that far away from home in such a long period of time before. We don't want to let you go because we'll miss you."

"Mom, Dad, it's okay. I want to do this. I've been stuck in the office since I first became an agent. This is my chance to do some good."

Mom and Dad exchange a look, before they both nod. "Alright…" says Dad.

I barely prevent myself from squealing. This is so exciting! "Wait, if they buy me anything in the duration of the mission, can I keep it?"

Monogram grimaces. "If it's something small, then we'll see."

"What if they give me money?"

"Then we'll put it in a fund for you to take out a small amount each month."

"And if they give me money and I spend it on something myself?"

"If they give you the money and you buy things yourself, then you can keep them. No more than ten small things," he adds as I fist pump the air.

"Okay," I consent.

This is it! I'm finally going on a long-duration mission!

…

 **Anyone want to know what the two platypuses' names are? Wait to find out, but I will say they're both unusual names and one of their names begins with J and the other with X. I'm not saying which is which.**


	5. Something To Come Back For

**Time for some brother/sister moments :)**

…

 **Teddy's POV**

I can't believe it. My sister is going away for a few months on a mission. She's going to miss so much! Paige's second birthday; the famous OWCA barbecue; and a party that Victoria, Mom, Karen, and Patty are hosting. Hazel told me a while ago that she was really looking forward to the barbecue. The barbecue's actually taking place the night after she leaves. We asked Major Monogram if we could delay Hazel's departure by one day, but he told us it's already been decided, and changing it now might tip somebody off. It's a real shame.

I enter my sister's bedroom to find her sitting on her bed, staring at a photograph on her lap. I knock on the open door. "Hazel?"

She doesn't look up as she says, "I don't know if I can do this. I've never been away from home for this long before. How can I fight bad guys when I'm fighting homesickness?"

I go over to my little sister and sit on the bed next to her. "I know you can do it," I say encouragingly. "You'll be talking to us three times a week. You're mature enough to live on that."

She looks at me with sadness in her face. "I'm scared, Ted. What if I slip up and reveal myself too soon?"

"You won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"Well, you won't have a translator so you can't say anything to give you away."

She glares at me. I quickly amend to, "You won't because you're an amazing agent and an even better actress."

She chuckles. "Thanks."

I push her gently off the bed. "You're very welcome."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

She gets up off the floor and retrieves the photo. While it was on the floor, I was able to see the picture: it's Mom, Dad, Hazel, me, and Quinn from two years ago, sitting in our bedroom. She puts the photo on her beside cabinet and, taking off her fedora, places that beside it.

"Won't be allowed to wear that when I'm on the mission," she says to me, her cheerful tone betrayed by the look on her face.

She's a few seconds away from bursting into tears. I pull her gently into a hug.

"It's going to be fine," I tell her. Then I think of something reassuring that I can tell her. "Hey, I think you've got the best deal out of everybody."

"What?"

"Think about it: this guy's doesn't have any clue that animal secret agents exist. Unless you majorly screw up—and I know you won't—he won't even suspect you just a little bit."

"I guess…"

This makes Hazel look a little happier, so I add, "Besides, as Major Monogram said, he spoils his pets. You're going to live in _luxury_ , Hazel. You'll get the best food, the best bed, the best living arrangements, the best clothes-."

"Clothes?" Hazel's eyes light up. "Really?"

Nobody wears clothes at OWCA because they're a bit too expensive to have custom made; clothes tailored to animals are not made because of all the different animal shapes and sizes. However, most over-twenties females wear light dresses that are cheap and one-size.

"Yes, clothes. You could come back here with lots of clothes to wear and show off."

"Won't people get jealous?"

I wink. "That's the idea. And anyone who spoils their pets probably also talks to them. He might give away details to you. He might unknowingly help you."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

…

 **Priya's POV**

I'm trying so hard to be strong for my girl. But when she hugs me and Perry, I break down. I know she'll be safe—she's a capable agent after all—but I don't know if I'll be able to handle only seeing her on a screen, only three times a week, for almost half a year, probably more.

She hugs Teddy and Piper, who are both trying not to cry, and spends a minute playing with her niece.

Quinn hugs her leg and doesn't want to let her go. She hugs her little sister and tells her to be strong.

Then she has to say goodbye to her friends.

 **Parker's POV**

I watch as Hazel hugs Chelsea, Eden, and even Noah. Then she turns to me. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to our dinner date," she says.

I shrug and smile. "It's okay. You've been chosen for a special mission. That's not something you can control."

"Rain check?"

"Sure."

She comes closer to me, our foreheads nearly touching. Before I know it, she leans in, and I lean to meet her.

Our kiss lasts about three seconds, but it's one of the best moments of my life. I hear Chelsea and Eden whooping, and Hazel's Mom makes an "aww" sound.

"I'm coming back, you know," Hazel says.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

…

 **Hazel's POV**

The arrangement is for me to go to a pet shop, where Barde's secretary and secretary's assistant—Kata—will come in to choose the next pet. Barde trusts his secretary enough to let her choose. And apparently the secretary—Eleanor Williams—has a soft spot for Kata, so she's likely to let Kata either sway her decision or choose for her. That's how I'm going to be chosen. This is the OWCA pet shop, the same shop that all OWCA's pets are sold from, run by Carl in his woman disguise.

As I sit in my small cage at the pet shop, I get a small feeling of what Mom and Dad must have felt. After all, their parents were dead (or they thought they were dead) so they had no family to stay with. They had to sit in this very shop—maybe even this very cage—for months, waiting for someone to adopt them. Luckily, someone did. Janet Wilkins for Mom and the Flynn-Fletchers for Dad.

I also can't stop thinking about Parker. I don't know if I love him yet, but the kiss we shared definitely meant something to both of us. Maybe when I get back we'll give a relationship a go.

I only have to wait an hour or so before I see a middle-aged woman come through the door with Kata behind her. I act a mindless pet as I sit there and unfocus my eyes. I hear Kata exclaim, "Oh, that one is very cute! Elle, let's get that one for Barde!"

Usually I wouldn't be allowed a translator, but I've been given a swallowable one that lasts for exactly twenty-four hours. When (I'm being optimistic here) Eleanor adopts me, Carl will tell her that I need to be given a pill every twenty-four hours, so I can always understand humans but I won't be able to speak to them.

Eleanor stares at me thoughtfully. "It is rather adorable. Is it a girl?"

Carl comes over in his disguise. "This one is named Hazel," he said. "She's ten years old. Looking for a good home."

"How long has she been here?" Eleanor asks.

"Only a few weeks," Carl lies. "But in her last home she was neglected and she grew really thin."

I'm really thankful right now that I'm so thin. It really does look like I used to be ultra-skinny and after a few weeks of feeding up, I'm not as thin.

Eleanor has a scrutinising eye on me. It's all I can do to carry on with the mindless pet thing.

"Can she stand on her hind legs?" asks Eleanor. "We only take platypuses who can act like humans."

"She can," answers Carl. "We have a code word with her that turns her from her pet mode to her human mode."

This was agreed earlier. Carl gives me the subtlest of nods and gently taps on the cage. "Monotreme," he says in a voice that people usually use to talk to their pets.

I stand up on my hind legs and focus my eyes. I put my fingers through the mesh of the cage and look pleadingly up at Eleanor, who pauses for a further minute, before saying, "We'll take her."

YES!

I only just manage to not fist pump the air.

"Monotreme," Eleanor says to me.

I obediently drop to all fours and unfocus my eyes again. Giving an approving nod, Eleanor goes off to fill out the paperwork with Carl while Kata gives me a subtle thumbs up. I'm put into a pet carrier and carried out of the door. As I hear Carl's woman voice call, "Have a nice day!" I have a pain in my stomach. It's excitement but it's also nervousness. I can't shake the feeling that Eleanor already suspects me. I try telling myself that that is just how she looks, but I can't.

Major Monogram told me that I will be flying to Barde's house in Malta, which is in Europe. That means I have a long flight ahead of me, so I close my eyes and try to sleep, trying not to think about the family that I'm leaving behind for at least half a year.

…

 **So Hazel's off on her way! YAY! AND PARKER AND HAZEL KISSED OMFG**


	6. Malta

**Author's Note: so far, all my animal characters have spoken in English. In this chapter whenever you see text _like this_ it means speaking in English. If it's normal speech marks, it's a platypus speaking in their native language, which would sound like chattering to any human without a translator. Just to be clear, nobody has a translator. Hazel's pill-translators allow her to understand English, not speak it.**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

I sleep through the whole flight, which surprises me because I've never liked flying, whether on an aeroplane or with a flying agent. It's weird but I think it might be because when Mom was pregnant with me, she went on an airplane twice.

By the time I wake up, we're already in Malta. Eleanor is driving the car and Kata is sitting in the back with me. She managed to convince Eleanor to let me out of my cage. I spend the whole six hour journey on the interstate staring out the window at the amazing scenery. It's absolutely beautiful here, especially since it's fairly dark and all the lights are on. Because we're in private, I can finally stand on two legs.

I chatter with delight as we pass the bright lights of a casino strip. I can just imagine myself winning thousands of chips and leaving very rich. Of course pets won't even be allowed in the building, let alone be allowed to actually play the games.

We pull up outside a mansion. Eleanor gets out immediately and leaves my view. Kata gives me a smile. This is it she says. Give me a thumbs up if you're ready

I flash a thumbs up at her. She picks me up and carries me inside.

It's massive. Everything's either marble or mahogany. Straight in the door, there's a fairly small porch area, and then there's a huge room with a high ceiling. Directly in front of us is a marble staircase splitting off at the top into two staircases. One more door is to the left and another to the right.

"This is amazing," I breathe, though I know it comes out as a chatter to Kata.

A man comes down the staircase towards us. He's about ten years younger than Heinz Doofenshmirtz and dressed very flashily. He has an Armani suit on but all the accessories are gold-coloured, most of them presumably made out of real gold: cufflinks, buttons on shoes, bow tie, a ring on his right little finger.

He smiles warmly at Eleanor, who has stopped at the bottom of the stairs. _Welcome back, Ellie_

The prim woman gives a smile that indicates that she will just about tolerate him calling her that, but only him. _Mr Barde_ she says.

 _And is this gorgeous platypus my new pet?_

 _Yes, sir_ says Kata, holding me out to him. _This is Hazel_

As soon as he takes me from Kata, I feel the urgent need to scrabble out of his arms. Platypuses, like many animals, can tell when a person is good. If we deem a person bad, the instinct is to get as far away from them as possible. I force myself to keep still but it's hard going against my natural instinct.

 _She's beautiful_ says Barde. _Hazel, did you say her name was?_

 _Yes, sir_ Kata replies. _She's ten years old, within the eight to fourteen age gap that you asked for_

 _Indeed she is_ He puts me on the ground, where I sit in my mindless pet state. He observes this. _And can she…you know…?_

Yes, sir says Kata again. _Hazel, monotreme_

I obediently stand up on my hind legs and look up with focused eyes at my new "owner".

 _Impressive_ says Barde. _Well, Mandy took Xanthe and Jolyon to get their fur washed and conditioned, and they're not due to get back for another hour, so Rachel you can go ahead and put Hazel in her new room_

 _Yes, sir_ Kata says for the fourth time.

She picks me up, differently this time, and carries me up the marble stairs. When we go through the door at the top, we're faced with a long corridor, where Kata puts me down. The carpet is soft and fancy, and the wallpaper is flowery. She ushers me into a room and bends down, saying quietly, _Although it's eight o' clock here, it'll be about lunchtime back home_ Out of her jacket she takes a small iPad, which she hands to me. _Call home. The number is listed as Perry_

With that, she closes the door.

I inspect the room. The floor is wooden, though there's a circular, fluffy white carpet in the centre of the room. The walls are painted teal. In the corner, there's possibly the biggest bed in the world. It's probably the size of my entire office cubicle back home. Other pieces of furniture include a closet, a desk, and a sofa with a TV in front of it. The en-suite bathroom includes a proper toilet and sink, complete with an already-run bath that's big enough to be a swimming pool. In fact, I taste the water and it's chlorine. It really is a swimming pool. I have a swimming pool for a bath. That's awesome! I feel so rich.

I go out the bathroom and spot a balcony leading off from the large French windows. I go out onto the balcony to face the best view ever. There's the dark shape of mountains in the distance, in front of which is the yellow lights of a distant town. Between that and me is miles and miles and miles of green trees, yellow fields, and other plants. It's breathtaking.

Out on the balcony are three wicker chairs with a glass table. I sit down on one of the chairs, feeling the cushion behind my back, and call my parents.

On the second ring, Dad's face comes onto the monitor. I smile. "Hi Dad!"

"Hello Hazel! How was the flight?"

"I don't know" I admit. "I was asleep for the whole thing. How's Mom?"

"Ask her yourself."

Mom virtually pushes herself onto screen. "Hazel! How are you?"

"Hi Mom" I smile. "I'm fine. I've arrived in Malta, and it's really beautiful here."

I turn the camera round to point at the view. I hear Dad say, "that is beautiful."

I turn the camera back to myself. "Is anyone else there?"

"Pearl's at home with Quinn," replies Mom. "But I have someone here who wants to say hello."

 _AUNTY HAZEL!_ bellows a voice in English.

I can't help smiling as my niece is brought onto the screen by Piper, who says _Hi Hazel_

"Hi Piper."

Piper looks at Mom and Dad. _Why's she not speaking English?_

While they explain, Paige waves her fists at me. _Aunty Hazel!_

"Hello Paige," I say, not knowing if she can even understand me.

 _Where are you?_ demands Paige.

"I'm far away," I reply. "In a country called Malta."

 _Mal-ta?_ repeats Paige.

Apparently she _can_ understand me.

At that moment, I hear a knock at the door on my end. "I gotta go," I say quickly. "I'll speak to Teddy and Parker next time."

"Bye," say Mom and Dad.

I hang up and hide the iPad under my chair. Jumping down from the chair, I walk on two legs over to the bed and leap onto it, pretending to be asleep.

The door opens and I hear a female voice talk. "Is that the new pet?"

"Probably," says a male voice.

They're speaking in platypus-ese! They must be the two other pets. What had Barde called them?

"Jo, look! She's all silver!"

"That's a pretty unusual fur colour."

I yawn loudly, stretch, and roll over. I hear the female platypus yelp, "Jo, she's awake! Did she hear us talking about her?"

"Well she knows now," says the sarcastic male platypus.

I open my eyes and see two platypuses standing on their hind legs: one has black fur and the other has yellow fur that reminds me of my grandmother Pearl's.

"Hi guys," I say. "I'm Hazel."

As soon as I jump down from the bed, the female platypus grabs my chest in a tight hug. "I'm Xanthe!" she says enthusiastically.

"Tight…hug…" I wheeze.

Xanthe lets me go and grabs the male platypus around the shoulders with one arm. "This is my bro Jolyon."

"Your brother?"

"We're not actually related," says Jolyon, looking rather unhappy at the position Xanthe is holding him in. "But we've been together for so long that we feel like siblings."

I have to admit, I may have a little crush on Jolyon already. He's quite good looking, for a platypus. However, this makes me think of Parker, rather guiltily. I hope he thinks of me like I think of him.

…

 **Bit of a long chapter but oh well!**


	7. OWCA Barbecue

**I do not own any songs mentioned in this chapter.**

…

 **Perry's POV**

The barbecue is in full swing out in the garden of OWCA. Quinn has designed pretty much all the banners herself, and I feel immense pride when I look at them. Quinn is so arty, it makes me smile widely.

Feeling my feet on the plush grass, I watch Apollo, Artemis, and Carl set up the three barbecues, chatting and laughing together. It feels nice inside to watch them in something other than their work clothes doing something other than working. I'm glad to see them having fun.

 **Teddy's POV**

Me and three other agents have started a game of volleyball with no rules except you have to hit the ball back. It's a lot of fun. I'm on a team with Piper. It turns out that she's really competitive.

I hit the ball to Eden the Black Panther, who's on a team with Chelsea the Cheetah. Eden slams it over the net to Piper, who dives for it but misses and spectacularly falls over. Even Piper herself joins us in laughing our heads off.

 **Apollo's POV**

I can't remember the last time I was so relaxed.

Since the whole Maze Mayhem thing three years ago, I've been working practically non-stop. Now, during this barbecue, chatting with my sister and my oldest friend, I feel truly happy.

Carl expertly flips a burger patty, humming _Summer Belongs To You_. I turn over one of the vegetarian sausages and put it into a roll, then I give the whole thing to Ravi the Rabbit, who then goes and sits next to a heavily pregnant Cassie the Cat. It makes me feel happy, seeing that the bitter and cold Cassie is about to start a family. I remember when Cassie came to see me eight weeks ago.

 _Ravi comes into the hospital wing, actually carrying his mate in a bridal lift. "Apollo!" he yells._

 _I run out of the bathroom and find that Cassie is barely conscious and she has a high fever. I take her from Ravi and put her on a bed. I place a cold towel on her burning forehead and quickly examine her._

 _What I find is surprising._

 _I turn slowly to the worried Ravi and ask, "do you two have any children together?"_

 _"_ _No," replies Ravi slowly._

 _I smile. "In exactly nine weeks, the answer you've just given me will be false."_

 _Ravi stares. "Wh-what…? Do you mean she's…?"_

 _"_ _Cassie is pregnant, yes. I'm guessing there'll be about five or six babies in this litter."_

 _"_ _I'll be a-she'll be a-we're going to be a-."_

 _I think the news just broke Ravi. His mouth is open but I can see his brain processing this and he smiles widely. "Oh my God, that's great! W-we've wanted a family for ages but now…!"_

 _He rushes to Cassie's bedside and places his paw on his mate's shoulder. The yellow cat is just opening her eyes. "Ravi…" she slurs. "What happened?"_

 _"_ _You're pregnant, Cass!" squeals Ravi delightedly. "We're going to be parents!"_

 _Cassie exhales loudly and closes her eyes again. "Finally…" I hear her whisper._

 **Priya's POV**

To procrastinate what I should be doing, I drag Perry onto the karaoke stage.

"This is déjà vu, isn't it?" grins Perry.

"That's why you're up here!" I plaster a grin on my face, hoping he doesn't guess my true emotions.

Luckily, he doesn't. "So what song do you want to sing?"

"Let's do _Big Ginormous Airplane_ ," I suggest.

Perry smiles. "Okay."

The first part is in pink:

 _When we lift off then you'll be tipped off to_

 _How my heart, it soars for you._

The next part is Perry:

 _Soon you'll be flying, gravity defying_

 _Your dreams will all come true! In the blue!_

The last two bits are both of us:

 _Flying over cotton-candy clouds_

 _Hanging from a fuselage_

 _A walk on a wing is just the thing_

 _For a high in the sky montage!_

Just like when we performed in the disco during the retreat, my high voice perfectly harmonises with Perry's lower voice.

 _So darling, put your goggles on,_

 _And up, up and away we'll fly!_

 _In a big ginormous airplane_

 _In a big ginormous airplane_

 _In a big ginormous airplane_

 _In the sky!_

We finish to rapturous applause but I can't enjoy it. Not when something else weighs heavily on my mind.

I drag Perry off the stage again. "Priya, what-?"

I don't speak until I've pulled Perry into the offices. "Priya, whats going on?" demands Perry.

"There's something I need to tell you." The words tumble out of my mouth. I actually feel sick with nerves. "Perry, I-I-I…" I pause, trying to gather myself, while Perry watches me nervously. I break down in tears, unable to tell him. "I'm too old," I sob. "I'm nearly twenty years old. I can't have another child now, I'm too old."

"P-P-Priya? You're…you're pregnant again?"

"Yes," I sob. "Apollo told me. I had no idea but I can't give birth when I'm nearly twenty, Perry, I'm way too old!"

Perry takes me into his arms and lets me cry into his shoulder. "We'll get through this," he said, gently rubbing my arms.

"I'm too old," I sob again.

"No, over twenty-five would be too old," says Perry firmly. "You're only nineteen. You're going to be fine, I promise."

…

 **WILL Priya be fine? I have no idea right now I:}**


	8. Hazel's Story and Priya's Worry

**We're going to find out a bit more about Xanthe and Jolyon in this chapter :)**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

We lie on our bed and chat. I'm really interested in Xanthe and Jolyon's lives, seeing as I don't know any other animals who haven't grown up in OWCA.

"My parents were called Rob and Harriet," says Xanthe, lying on her back.

"My mom was called Nancy," Jolyon contributes. "I never knew my dad. Mom said he left her when he found out she was pregnant."

"That's not very nice," comments Xanthe.

"Yeah, no kidding." Jolyon looks at me. "What about you, Hazel?"

"Oh, my mom and dad are called Perry and Priya," I say.

"You still know them?" asks Jolyon, surprised. "Our parents gave us up when we were a year old, like all platypus parents do."

"Oh…yeah, I do."

I didn't know that! Platypus parents in the wild give up their children when they're a year old? That's bad, but I can't exactly tell them that I was raised by my parents because we're all part of a secret organisation!

The perfect story comes to me immediately. "I was really weak as a baby and my parents knew that I wouldn't survive if they gave me up, even at a year old, so they kept me." The details flood into me as if this really happened to me. "They were only intending to keep me for another year but I must have grown on them because they just kept me."

"Where were you living?" Xanthe asks.

"My parents are owned by a family called the Flynn-Fletchers," I say, which is only slightly a lie. "They buy my parents everything so they could afford to keep me."

"How'd you end up in the pet shop then?" frowns Jolyon. "If you have such loving parents then why'd they give you up?"

"They didn't. My parents' owners did."

 _Please forgive me, guys. Phineas, Ferb, Candace, Linda, and Lawrence, I know you're not bad people…_

"The dad, Lawrence, got demoted in his job so there was less money coming in. They needed to make cuts so they sent me away to a pet shop."

"Aww." Xanthe rolls over and hugs my chest. "It's okay. You got us now!"

"Mr Barde is very nice," Jolyon adds. "He pampers us and gives us money to buy things ourselves."

"Really? That's cool!"

There's a knock at the door. Xanthe lets out a loud chatter, which is apparently the signal to come in. The door opens and Kata pokes her head round the door.

 _Hi pets_ she says in English. She beckons. _Could you come over here for a minute?_

"What's she saying?" asks Xanthe.

Jolyon shrugs. "I have no idea."

I can't let on that I understand English, so I go by her gesture and safely say, "I think she wants us to come. Look, she's beckoning."

"That makes sense," admits Xanthe. "Let's go see what the human wants."

"Don't you even know her name?" I ask.

They shake their heads in unison. "We don't understand English," says Jolyon. "Why, do _you_ know it?"

I have to be careful not to say the wrong name. "Her name's Rachel Newman."

"How do you know?" Xanthe asks.

"I…" I know I shouldn't do this but I don't know if I can keep a secret this big for long, so I answer, "I can understand English."

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _How?"_ gasps Xanthe.

Something is weird with me today because yet again a good story comes flooding to me, despite the odd circumstances. "My parents' owners, Phineas and Ferb, were really mechanically minded. They made translators for my parents, who then taught me English."

"That seems far-fetched," says Jolyon doubtfully.

"It's true!" I snap indignantly.

Jolyon holds up his paws. "All right, then. Let's go see what the hum-I mean _Rachel_ -wants."

…

 **Artemis's POV**

Priya comes to me in a depressed state. "Perry said I should come," she says dully.

"Oh…okay."

Priya sits down in the first chair in the consultancy room. I take a clipboard, a piece of paper, and a pen, and sit down opposite her. "Didn't Perry want to come?" I ask.

"I wanted to come alone."

Priya's voice is very monotonous and she's not looking me in the eyes.

"Okay, so what's on your mind?"

She says nothing.

"My brother tells me you're pregnant," I prompt. "Is it to do with that?"

Priya swallows and stays silent for ten more seconds before she whispers, "I can't have a child."

I write that down on my clipboard. "So you're concerned about being a mother?"

"It's not the being a mother part," says Priya quietly. "I'm already a mother to three."

Her face contorts into a painful expression and her beak shuts. I've guessed it, though. "Priya, are you concerned about giving birth to another child at the age of nineteen?"

She numbly nods.

"You're worried you won't be a good mother at your age?"

She nods again.

"Priya, you've got nothing to worry about. Maternal instincts stay with you forever. They don't go away even when you go way past the reproduction age."

"What about the birth?"

"I'm not a doctor but you _have_ given birth three times in the past."

"I-I have, haven't I?"

"If you can do that, you can do this," I tell the platypus reassuringly.

"I…you're right." Priya smiles. "Thanks Artemis."

"It's my job."

"No, really." She puts her paw on my hand. "You've made me feel a lot better."

"It's what I'm here for, honestly." I give her a smile back. "I'm glad I was able to help."

Priya gets up and goes to the door. As she does, Apollo comes into the doorway.

"Hi Apollo." Priya smiles but that smile quickly drops when she sees the serious look on my brother's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, I…um…" Apollo looks uncomfortable. "I just need to talk to my sister."

"Oh, okay. Bye."

Priya leaves the room. Apollo comes to sit down in her vacated chair. "Something's wrong," I guess.

"Yes." Apollo looks back to make sure Priya isn't within hearing, before he turns back to me and quietly says, "It's about Priya. Just before she came here, she came to me for an appointment I made for her. I tested her, and the results came back five minutes ago."

"Why are you telling me?" I ask. "Why not her?"

 **Apollo's POV**

"I-I just can't," I confess. "Not yet. She's already delicate. The results will destroy her confidence."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's not. Her birth isn't going to be kind to her."

Artemis grimaces. "Poor Priya. How?"

"It's going to be more painful than her three previous births put together by a long way. I can't guarantee that it won't kill her."

Artemis's hand covers her mouth. "But why?"

"It is to do with her age," I reply. "If she had no children and she was pregnant at age nineteen, I'm afraid she wouldn't have a chance. Female platypus' bodies are designed to have four or five babies between the ages eight to nineteen. A pregnant female between the ages of four and eight can physically give birth but it's trying on such a young body. You with me so far?"

"Yes," says Artemis slowly.

"Well, Priya's condition is the exact opposite. Instead of being on the younger side of the spectrum, she's on the older side of the spectrum. She is physically able to give birth but it will be trying because her body is past the prime age for reproduction."

"What about the pregnancy before the birth?" Artemis asks worriedly.

"I'm not sure about that," I admit. "But that won't be kind to her either. I'm afraid this is the start of a painful time for poor Priya."

…

 **Author's Note: I know the second part of the chapter with Priya isn't about Hazel but it's going to set up a story I'm going to publish after I'm done with Hazel's Mission, entitled Priya's Pain.**


	9. The Cruise Ship

**And now for a Hazel/Xanthe/Jolyon-centric chapter :)**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

"We're going on a _what?"_ Xanthe gasps.

"Mr Barde just bought a private cruise ship and we're going on a private cruise!" I practically squeal. "We're going to Cyprus!"

Xanthe leaps at Jolyon and he swings her round in excitement.

"And we're stopping off at Crete on the way," I add.

"What's on the ship?" asks Jolyon. Even he looks excited.

"According to this pamphlet Rachel gave me…" I read off the leaflet. "…there's a pool deck, a spa, a five star restaurant, a clothes shop, a steam room, a gym, a rock climbing wall, a mini cinema, a planetarium, a normal shop, and a cool piano lounge."

"That-sounds-awesome!" squeals Xanthe. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," I reply, remembering what Kata-no, _Rachel_ -told me. "At nine."

"Oh, I won't be able to sleep!" says Xanthe, looking disappointed.

"Well, it's already midnight," I say, just as Xanthe yawns.

"We should get to bed," Jolyon says. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

…

Xanthe is right: she barely sleeps a wink. I hear her tossing and turning all night. Not that I am able to sleep much either.

When eight o' clock comes, Barde himself comes into the room. _Who's ready for a cruise?_ he says enthusiastically as if talking to an excited puppy.

"What's that?" asks Jolyon sleepily.

"He's asking us if we're ready for a cruise," I translate.

"I AM!" screeches Xanthe.

She shoots off the bed, startling Jolyon. I jump down from the bed and join Xanthe around Barde's legs. Jolyon sighs and joins us. "We're ready, right?" Xanthe says, looking round. "We don't need to bring anything, do we?"

"Xanthe, we're platypuses," Jolyon points out. "One of us hasn't even been here twenty-four hours."

"Just asking," says Xanthe defensively.

A two hour drive later, we're by the sea. The air is crisp, the weather is warm, the breeze is refreshing, and the smell of the ocean is amazing.

"We've lived on this island for two years now," says Jolyon, closing his eyes against the light breeze. "And we've never been to the seaside before."

"Me neither," I say, and for once it's the truth.

"Look!" Xanthe shouts, pointing.

The cruise ship in front of us is enormous. It's painted white with…you know, I'm not going to describe it. Just imagine an ordinary cruise ship and that's what it looks like.

We board. Straight away, there's service. Waiters and waitresses in white suits and dresses offer us drinks. Considering that I'm not technically an adult in human terms, though I am in platypus terms, I take a glass of something that's either fizzy water or lemonade.

I take a sip. It's lemonade. And it's delicious.

We're shown to a luxury room. It's got three single beds that are obviously tailored to small platypuses like us; they're like queen sized beds for us. We have a balcony that looks similar to the one back in the house but it looks out onto the sea. In our room is a plush sofa and an en-suite bathroom. Naturally it's smaller than the room back in the house but I leap onto the bed and this bed is way softer than the one I was introduced to yesterday.

Xanthe bounces on her bed while Jolyon sits casually on the couch. "This place is fancy!"

Jolyon rolls his eyes. "Xanthe, you act like you came straight from a poor place. You _have_ seen fanciness before."

"Shut up and let me enjoy this."

"Alright." Jolyon stands up and stretches. "I think I'll explore. Anyone coming?"

"Me!" I slide off the bed, closely followed by Xanthe.

"I'm coming too."

Before we get to the door, it opens and Barde and Kata—you know from now on I'm just going to call her Rachel—come in. While Xanthe and Jolyon bicker about what they want to do first, I listen to Barde and Rachel's conversation.

 _I'm going to give them free rein of the ship_ says Barde _. They can go wherever they like, as long as they avoid the top floor because that's where my office is. I like to conduct my business on the sea. There's something relaxing about it, wouldn't you say?_

 _I prefer dry land, myself, sir_ Rachel replies.

Barde chuckles. _At least you don't automatically agree with everything I say, like Ellie does. She means well but sometimes it's tiring hearing "yes sir" all the time_

"What's he saying?" Xanthe asks.

"He's giving us free rein of the ship," I translate.

"Then let's go!"

"Wait, we don't have any money for the shops," Jolyon points out.

Just then, Rachel comes over to us and hands us each a credit card. _It's got basically unlimited money on it_ she tells me.

I translate for my friends. No sooner have I done that than Xanthe seizes my wrist in one hand and Jolyon's wrist in the other hand, then she tugs us out the room and down the hall. "Let's go shopping for clothes first," she says.

"I'm down for that," I say.

Jolyon shrugs. "I may as well come with."

So we make our way down the helpfully signposted corridor and make it to the boutique. It almost makes me cry with happiness, seeing so many items of clothing tailor made for platypuses like me. Jolyon heads over to the rack with platypus-feet-sized flip-flops and other shoes while Xanthe and I check out the dresses. Xanthe goes for either the ultra-short or ultra-long ones, whereas I look at the medium-length ones.

I find one that's absolutely beautiful, which I try on. Before I step out of the changing room, I look in the mirror. It comes down to my ankles, though when I walk I don't trip over it. The colour is a deep purple colour, darker than Mom's fur colour. It's sleeveless and the skirt of it is designed in such a way that it balloons out when I twirl. I fall in love with it at once.

Still wearing the dress, I step outside the changing room and move in front of Xanthe, who's sitting on a couch waiting for me. Her bored face immediately turns to wonder as I twirl, beaming. "Oh-my-gosh!" she gushes. "That looks amazing on you! The dark purple colour really goes well with your silver fur colour! Oh my gosh," she says again. "I just can't handle how beautiful you look in that dress!"

I blush. "Thanks, Xanthe."

"You have to buy it right now. I mean, it's THE dress for you!"

As if she heard and understood Xanthe, the assistant comes over and scans the label, her face asking a silent question. I nod, indicating that I'll take it. Xanthe squeals as I pay.

"Are there some _you_ want to try on?" I ask.

"Absolutely! But there are a lot of them. You willing to give your opinions as I try them on?"

"Sure," I grin.

As Xanthe dashes into the changing room with at least ten dresses, I sit down on the couch, smoothing the material of my dress. It's satin, so it's very soft and smooth to the touch. I know I couldn't have chosen a better dress.

For the next hour, Xanthe tries on dresses in front of me while I give my opinion on them. When we finish with the thirteen original dresses, we go find sixteen more and she tries them on too. The way I make remarks and we laugh together makes it feel like we've been best friends for years, instead of just having met each other yesterday.

At one point, Jolyon comes over with a brand new blue beret on his head and sits with me. When Xanthe comes out with an awful fuchsia coloured dress on, Jolyon makes an extremely funny remark, and that makes all three of us dissolve into giggles. It's at that point that I realise I do have a crush on Jolyon. He's sensible, mature, and reliable, yet he does know how to have fun. This again makes me think guiltily of Parker and how I haven't spoken to him since I left to go to the pet shop.

Who am I supposed to choose? If it even comes down to it, that is. Maybe Jolyon doesn't feel the same way about me. After all, I only met him yesterday. I've known Parker for years.

I push the problem to the back of my mind and suggest we go to the pool.

…

 **So now there's a love angle :) poor Hazel**


	10. Poor Priya

**This is a mini chapter that's the main set-up for Priya's Pain, published after Hazel's Mission is finished.**

…

 **Priya's POV**

It's been two hours since I visited Artemis.

I'm at home alone, making our bed. I don't feel well. My stomach is churning, and it's taking all my restraint to not throw up. I keep having to blink spots out of my vision.

As I pick up one of our cushions from the floor, a sudden pain stabs through my forehead, making me drop the cushion with a cry. I lean on the bed for support, one hand clutching my forehead.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?" I scream. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

But the pain doesn't go away. As soon as my head stops hurting, I stand up straight and immediately get hit with a wave of dizziness. I stumble backwards and hit the wall. "Please go away," I whimper. "It hurts."

The pain-god doesn't take sympathy on me. In fact, he adds to my discomfort by doubling my nausea. I stagger into the bathroom and throw up into the toilet. I go to the sink to wash my paws but I have to grip the sides of the porcelain as my vision goes completely black for a brief second. I raise a hand to my forehead but that's the last thing I do before the blackness completely takes my vision and I collapse to the ground.

…

 **Poor Priya, but if you wait a while for Priya's Pain, it'll get a lot worse :(**


	11. The Pool And The Piano Lounge

**In this chapter, we're going to get parts from Xanthe's and Jolyon's points of view!**

…

 **Jolyon's POV**

By the time we get to the pool, the ship is already underway. The three of us sit by the railing and watch the port until it disappears, then we take off our clothes and prepare to go in the pool.

There's a cool waterslide, which of course Xanthe goes on first. Hazel sits on the edge of the pool opposite the slide and dips her feet in the water. I have to admit, my first impression of Hazel was that she was going to be another Xanthe. That wouldn't have been a bad thing, but one Xanthe is enough. Luckily, she proved herself to only be part-Xanthe, the best part; fun-loving. I see some of myself in her; she's mature and sensible but also kind like Xanthe. I do like her. I'm not sure yet, but I may have a small crush on her.

As Xanthe sets herself up on a sun lounger, I take off my hat and go on the slide. It's not massive but it's still fun and fast, and it dumps me in the cool water. I swim underwater to the other side of the pool, where Hazel is sitting, and yank her into the pool. Laughing, we surface. She splashes me and then we have a splashing contest.

Xanthe jumps in, splashing both of us. "Xanthe!" I splutter.

Hazel laughs loudly. She turns onto her back and floats, gently kicking her legs. I climb out of the pool and sit on a spare sun lounger, watching Hazel swim. That doesn't last long, however. The hot sun is making me drowsy, so I lie back on the sun lounger, put on a pair of sunglasses I bought at the boutique, and close my eyes, just feeling the warm sun on my body.

 **Xanthe's POV**

I go on the waterslide twice more before Hazel dares to go on it too. And even then I have to promise to buy her a drink in the lounge afterwards.

When she does go on it, however, she goes on it lots of times. I float in the shallow end and watch. For my amusement, she does a massive over-reaction that's different every time she goes down the slide. For example, the first time she goes down, she screams the whole way down. The next time, she pretends that she's a fashion model, squealing in a "dignified" voice. It's hilarious for me to watch.

When we're tired of the pool, we put our clothes back on and decide to go to the piano lounge for some lunch. It's on a lower floor than the pool.

When we arrive, I'm immediately hit by the cool, quiet atmosphere. The air conditioning is on, so it's nice and cool. There's a woman playing the piano in the corner. Along one wall is a massive fish tank with lots of multi-coloured tropical fish. We sit next to it and stare at the fish as we wait for our food to come. To our pleasant surprise, they have food like pizza, salads, and pasta. We order a small cheese pizza, a small lasagne, and a small potato salad, all to share.

The service is amazing. We literally have to wait five minutes for our food, and even then the waiter who delivers our food also apologises for the wait. We tip him quite a lot for that. The meal is also amazing. When we finish, we thank the staff profusely and leave.

"That was delicious," says Jolyon.

"Now I'm in the mood for ice cream," I say.

"You literally had lunch two minutes ago." Jolyon shakes his head.

 **Hazel's POV**

"How about we go to the normal shop for an hour or so and then get ice cream?" I suggest.

Xanthe and Jolyon look at each other. "I'm okay with that," says Jolyon. "Xanthe?"

"Sounds fun," Xanthe grins.

As we walk basically the length of the ship to the shop, I have a thought. "Maybe with all this money I can buy something for my parents back home and send it to them. Would Mr Barde be okay with that?" I ask.

"I'm sure he would," says Jolyon.

Xanthe nearly cries. "That's so sweet, I can't believe you're on the richest cruise ship in the world with basically unlimited money, and you're thinking of your parents!"

"Maybe if I send them something valuable, they can sell it and move to their own house," I say.

"Why not just send them the money?" Jolyon asks.

I shrug. "Because it's on this contactless card and I don't know the pin to withdraw any. Besides, if they don't want to sell the present, they can just keep it."

What I'm thinking is that I can take the opportunity to buy stuff for my friends back home and then take them with me when the mission ends and give them to my friends.

I ask my friends a question that has been on my mind for a while. "Do you keep in contact with your parents?"

Xanthe shakes her head. "No, but I know they have three more children. All of which they kept, by the way."

"Ouch," comments Jolyon. "My mom died just before I was adopted by Mr Barde, so…"

"That's sad." Xanthe gives Jolyon a sideways hug. "I can't imagine what that must have been like…"

"It's okay." Jolyon shrugs. "Like I said, I didn't really know her. She gave me up. What about you, Hazel?"

"Well, I only left my parents a few months ago," I lie. "I actually have two siblings."

"Awesome!" grins Xanthe. "Tell us about them."

This should be fairly easy. All I have to do is describe Teddy and Quinn while pretending they're both younger than me instead of just Quinn.

"Teddy's my brother," I tell them. "He's only six months younger than me and he has a mate called Piper."

"So how old is he?" frowns Xanthe.

"Nine," I say patiently, doing the maths in my head just in time. "I'm ten."

"Oh, okay. Carry on."

"Together, they have a child called Paige. She's just under two years old."

Xanthe coos. "Aww. She sounds cute."

"She is," I smile. "My younger sister, Quinn, is actually only two years older than her. She's three and a half years old."

At that moment, arrival at the shop cut short our conversation. Because it is huge.

…

 **If you like action, I'm afraid the next few chapters are going to be Hazel, Xanthe, and Jolyon exploring every room in the cruise ship, but I will do my best to make it as interesting as possible :)**


	12. Paige

**This chapter is centric on Teddy/Piper/Paige :)**

…

 **Piper's POV**

It's time for Paige's bath.

Teddy and I decide to give Paige her first ever bubble bath and see what her reaction is to the bubbles. Teddy plays with our daughter while I run the bath. Then we slowly lower her into the water.

She immediately splashes some water into our faces. Teddy laughs and tickles Paige, who shrieks with glee.

Then she seems to properly notice the bubbles. Teddy takes out his phone and begins to record her.

Paige pokes a particularly big bubble and seems taken aback when it pops. Then she claps with delight and scoops up a big bunch of bubbles, which she buries her face in.

Teddy and I can't stop laughing as Paige shakes her head inside the pile of bubbles, sending the translucent bubbles everywhere. Teddy puts his phone away and puts a bunch of bubbles on Paige's head. Our daughter reaches up and swats the bubbles off her head, sending them into my face. I wipe my face with the towel and put Paige's little rubber duck into the bath. Paige reaches for it, but then it disappears into a big pile of bubbles. Paige cocks her head on one side, making Teddy and I laugh again.

"Where's Ducky Momo, Paige?" asks Teddy in a baby voice. "Where is he?"

"Ducky Momo!" shrieks Paige, splashing water.

Using one finger, Teddy pushes the duck out of the pile of bubbles. "Where is he, Paige?"

"Here!"

Paige seizes the rubber duck and throws it at me. My reflexes kick in and I catch it. "Paige, no throwing," I tell my daughter sternly.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in," says Teddy.

The door opens and Teddy's grandmother pokes her head round the door. "I made you guys some tea," she says. "And I made Paige a hot chocolate."

"Thank you, Pearl," I say gratefully.

She suddenly notices the bubble bath and grins. "Aww, she's so cute."

Teddy throws his phone to her. "Check out the video," he says.

Pearl smiles and closes the door again.

I turn to Teddy and put my hand on his. "I'm really glad you chose me," I tell him.

Teddy looks at me, confused. "Me too. But what's brought this on? In three years, you haven't mentioned that."

Now's the moment. Now I can tell him. I hope his reaction will be as happy as the first time…

"Teddy, I'm expecting another child."

Teddy stares at me. "Wh-what?"

"Paige is going to be a big sister," I smile.

Teddy sits in stunned silence for a moment longer, before he lunges at me and wraps me in a massive hug. "This is amazing!"

He kisses me on the cheek and we hold each other tightly. "You want to decide names now?" I ask.

"If it's another girl, let's call her Matilda," Teddy suggests. "I love the name Matilda."

"If it's a boy, we'll call him Patrick."

Teddy rears back and looks at me in shock. "As in Pearl's deceased mate, Patrick? My grandfather, Patrick?"

I nod. "With there being a few couples now: Perry and Priya, you and me, I know Pearl's missing Patrick a lot. If we have a boy, we can call him Patrick, right?"

Teddy's eyes fill with tears. "That's so nice. Of course we can call him Patrick."

"If it's a boy," I remind my mate with a laugh.

"Patrick!" shrieks Paige, bringing the attention back round to her.

"Let's get you out and downstairs for hot chocolate," Teddy says, lifting our daughter out of the bath.

"Hot chocolate, yay!" shouts Paige, kicking her arms and legs, and spraying water in Teddy's face.

I laugh as I pull the plug out of the bath. "Paige," I say to my daughter. "You're going to be a sister."

"A sister?" repeats Paige, looking confused.

"You're going to have a new brother or sister," I smile.

I don't think she fully understands what that means but she kicks her legs again, sending more water into Teddy's face. My mate pulls a face, passes Paige to me, and leaves the bathroom. I wrap her in her towel and begin drying her. When I'm finished, I realise that she has fallen asleep against my chest. Smiling, I carry my daughter into the bedroom and gently lay her in her cradle.

"Sleep well, Paige."

…

 **AWWWWWW Paige is so cute, amirite?**


	13. Shopping

**Time for some shopping :)**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

The shop is by far the biggest room on the ship. It's four times the size of the entire office floor back home, and from the looks of it, it stocks everything except furniture.

Jolyon heads over to look at something while Xanthe and I inspect the baby stuff. It seems weird but they have golden rattles and mega soft diapers. I pick up a little mobile, the kind that hangs over a crib. It's got little multi-coloured stars hanging from it. They're made of plastic but set into the stars is a different jewel. I count a sapphire, an emerald, a ruby, a diamond, a pearl, and an amethyst. They're very small stones, so they don't add much to the weight of the stars, but they're real and just enough to send the value of the mobile shooting up. I decide to get this for Paige.

"I think I'll buy this and send it to my niece," I tell Xanthe.

"Cool."

I don't think she hears me. She's busy looking at the perfumes. I go to the checkout and buy the mobile. The assistant helpfully packs it into a small box for me and even gives me a pull-along trolley that's big enough to put lots of things in.

After a large shopping spree, I've bought lots of presents:

A sapphire necklace for Mom, because that's her birth stone,

A deck of cards with various cool movie characters on, including characters from _Doof Dynasty_ and _Temple of Juatchadoon_ , for Dad,

A pretty, solid-gold-yet-not-that-heavy photo frame with butterflies on it for Pearl,

A five-disk CD with actually every song that PFT ever recorded for Teddy,

(I don't buy anything for Piper, Eden, or Chelsea because I decide to go back to the boutique and buy them a dress each)

A jewelled hairbrush for Quinn,

A book about space for Noah (despite his emotionless exterior, he told me once that he feels depressed sometimes because he really wants to see space but he can't fly that high and a falcon can't be an astronaut),

And finally a really sweet smelling cologne for Parker (I know it seems weird but Parker said he's really into colognes, and this one says it was designed by Bobbi Fabulous so that makes it quite rare).

I leave with my trolley brimming. We all head back to the boutique, where I search the racks for dresses that my friends would like. As it happens, there's the Fall Formal coming up soon, and my female friends have lamented about how they don't have dresses for it.

I find THE perfect dress for Eden. Seeing as how her fur is jet black, there are not many colours that would look good on her, but I find a short white dress with pink flowers on it, and I know she'll love it.

It takes me a little longer to find something for Chelsea, but I eventually find a long and flowing royal blue dress that looks exactly like a dress that appeared in Chelsea's favourite movie. I can't remember what it's called, but I remember that Chelsea loves the dress so I buy that one for her.

Piper is difficult because although she says she wants a dress for the formal, she's not really a dress-type. After a long time of searching, I go for a coral-coloured dress that allows for a lot of freedom of movement. It comes with a cute mint green belt, and I really think she'll like it.

Then, because this trip is the only opportunity I'll have to buy clothes, I buy a few more outfits for myself. After all, I love this dress, but I can't wear it for every hour of every day. There's a mixture of skirts, tops, and even a pair of white trousers.

 **Xanthe's POV**

We spend so long shopping that it's evening by the time we leave the boutique for the second time. We stop at the sign outside the boutique and decide where to go next.

"Aquarium?" suggests Hazel.

"We've looked at fish already today," I say with a pretend yawn. "Maybe tomorrow."

"The spa?"

"That'd take too long," says Jolyon.

"How about the steam room, then?" Hazel compromises. "It'll still be relaxing like the spa and we can stay there for however long we want but it won't take as long. What do you say?"

"That sounds like fun," Jolyon says.

"Maybe we should drop off our stuff at the room before we go," I suggest.

We all look down at our three full trolleys. "That's probably the best idea," admits Jolyon.

"How about I go to the steam room and find out how it works and stuff, and you two go drop the stuff back in the room?" I say.

Jolyon and Hazel exchange a glance. "Okay," says Hazel.

She takes my trolley from me, and the two platypuses go off down the corridor. I grin and head in the opposite direction. The truth is: I want those two to be alone. I'm not blind or an idiot; I've seen the looks they've thrown at each other when they think the other isn't looking. They fancy each other, and I totally ship them.

I head down to the steam room alone. There's no staff down there but it's fairly self-explanatory. I take a white towel and step into the fairly big steam room. True to the name, there _is_ steam in there, but not so much that I can't see the other side of the room. The heat is not unbearable; in fact it's very relaxing. It makes me feel drowsy, so I spread the thick, soft towel on one of the benches and settle down on it. Before I know it, I'm asleep.

…

 **I love Xanthe :D she reminds me of a more energetic Priya back in Field Trip.**


	14. HazelXJolyon?

**Here's where it gets complicated I:}**

 **Jolyon's POV**

As Hazel and I go down to the room, I can't help sneaking glances at her. Seeing her while she was shopping made me realise that when she's doing something she likes, she completely lights up with passion and puts her all into it, even if that task is a non-taxing task like shopping.

 **Hazel's POV**

We reach the room and, after we unlock the door, we put our bags inside. I go out onto the balcony and stand at the railing. Jolyon joins me. The sky is navy blue and there are no clouds as far as we can see. The sea is dark below us. There's a cool breeze in our fur.

"I've never even seen the sea before," I confess. "I mean, before today. Have you?"

"One of my previous owners lived by the sea," Jolyon tells me. "She used to take me for walks along the beach every day."

"What happened to her?"

"Who, Flora? Oh…she was prone to epileptic fits. One day it got so bad that her doctor gave her an epilepsy dog and since she couldn't look after two pets, I had to go."

"Harsh."

"Oh, no, Flora was heartbroken to give me up. And I didn't want to leave her. We loved each other a lot, but sometimes life just gives you a massive kick up the backside and all you can do is try and make the best of it."

I can see that Jolyon also realises that towards the last part of the sentence, the tone in his voice was growing a bit bitter. He attempts a smile and looks up. "But Mr Barde is a good man. It doesn't matter that he's rich; he really cares about us."

"Where'd he get his money from?" I ask. "I mean, what does he do for a living?"

He frowns. "Well…I'm not sure. Because I can't understand English, if ever they talk about it in front of me, I wouldn't know. Maybe you can find out."

"Maybe…"

 **Jolyon's POV**

I get the feeling that Hazel is hiding something. "Is everything okay?" I ask.

"Yeah." Hazel stares out at the sea. "It's just that…well…I've never lived like this before. My host family were always so normal in terms of money, so this is kind of weird for me."

"But good-weird, right?"

"Oh, of course. I have _clothes_!"

We laugh, and then there's a pause as we take in the salty air. "We should probably join Xanthe," I say eventually.

"Yeah," Hazel agrees.

As we go into the room, I accidentally knock the lamp off the bedside table. The loud crash makes Hazel jump, but it takes me a good thirty seconds to realise that she has automatically grabbed my left hand. We look at each other. She looks mortified but before she can take her hand away, I put my right hand on top of her right hand, the one that's holding my left hand.

"Are you okay?" I ask quietly.

She nods, blushing. "Sorry, that was embarrassing."

I look into her eyes. For the first time, I've noticed that they're a hazel colour. "Your name matches your eyes," I murmur.

She smiles. "Thank you. I see yours are grey."

"What?" I yelp. "They were green when I was born!"

"They still are green, relax. I'm teasing."

We both laugh again. Then Hazel surprises me by kissing me briefly on the beak. I think even she is shocked by that. She covers her mouth with her hand and backs away. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean…I just…"

I retake her hand and gently pull her closer to me. "It's okay."

Before I know it, our beaks have touched again. Then Hazel starts crying.

This takes me thoroughly aback. "Hazel?"

"I'm so sorry," she keeps repeating.

I take her into a hug. She rests her head on my shoulder and continues crying. "It's okay," I say again.

"No, you don't understand." She sounds really distressed but I can't see her face because we're hugging, and I don't want to pull away because she's clutching me tightly like I'm her only lifeline. "I-I kissed someone back home and I-I…"

"Calm down," I say to her. "If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

She's silent for a moment. Then: "Before I was sent away to the pet shop, there was a pet who lived across the road from me. He was called Parker. We flirted with each other for ages and just before I left, we kissed. He said he'd wait for me. I don't know if I love him or not because I haven't seen him in ages but…I don't know if I can move on just like that."

She pulls away from me and we look at each other. The utter look of distress on her face makes me feel bad. "It's okay," I say for the third time. "It's not your fault."

"But I was the one who kissed you first, and now it _is_ my fault that I feel so horrible. I-I mean…I most likely will never see Parker again but…I can't help it…"

She looks like she's about to cry again. To prevent this, I quickly say, "Let's go down to the steam room. Maybe the heat will allow you to think about your options."

She smiles feebly. "Thanks, Jolyon. This won't make things awkward between us, will it? Because I really like you, and I couldn't stand it if my mistake-."

"Maybe it wasn't a mistake."

The words tumble out of my beak before I'm able to stop them. I feel myself flush and I grimace as I see the stunned look on Hazel's face. _Oh, well done, Jolyon. Fantastic work._

"Maybe," Hazel says eventually.

"I mean, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think it was a mistake, even if you do eventually end up with someone else. I'm glad this happened."

 **Hazel's POV**

 _Did…did he really just say that?_ My heart is actually beginning to melt. "M-me too," I say.

 _I really need to talk to Parker as soon as possible._

…

 **Xanthe's POV**

I yawn as I open my eyes. I've been asleep for a while. I sit up and see Jolyon and Hazel sitting on a bench opposite me, chatting. "Guys!" I complain. "How long have you been here?"

"About half an hour," replies Jolyon.

"How come you didn't wake me up?"

They both shrug simultaneously and exchange a look. This makes me remember my mission. "So what's happening with you guys? Are you totally going out now?"

Jolyon grimaces and glances at Hazel, who's looking down at the floor.

I don't know what reaction I expected but it wasn't this. "What's wrong with you two? Are you two a couple or not?"

"Hazel?"

She looks up at me, then she looks at Jolyon and takes his hand. "We are," she says, smiling.

Jolyon also smiles. "You heard her," he says to me. "We are a couple."

Needless to say, I don't stop squealing in delight for at least five minutes.

…

 **"** **But WHAT ABOUT PARKER?" I heard you shout. Don't worry, HazelXParker isn't dead yet :)**


	15. Night Time part 1 of 2

**Hazel's POV**

We're back in our room and we've gone to bed. I can hear Xanthe and Jolyon sleeping; Xanthe's snoring and Jolyon's breathing loudly.

Now's my chance to make a call to my friends and family back home.

I fetch the iPad that Rachel gave me just before we went to bed and leave the room. I need to find a place where I won't be disturbed. I decide to go to the pool deck.

I head up and find nobody there. I go up to the top of the waterslide and sit down. It's good there because I can hear and see anyone coming. I call my parents and wait.

The person who answers is Pearl, my grandmother. Clearly, Dad has told her to speak platypus-ese if ever I call her; she says, "Hazel! How are you?"

"I'm great, thanks. How's everything at home?"

"Teddy and Piper have some news for you but I'll let them tell you. Hold on, I'll get everyone."

I see her put the iPad down on something; all I can see now is the white ceiling. After only a few seconds, someone picks up the iPad. "Hi Dad!"

"Hazel! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I smile. "Is Mom there?"

"She's…uh…she's with Apollo in the medical bay. She hasn't been feeling very well."

"Oh…" I feel a pang of worry. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine," Dad reassures me.

"Well, tell her I bought her a present."

"You didn't have to do that," Dad says.

"I bought something for everyone. All my family and some of my friends. Even you."

"What did you get me?" Dad asks, clearly surprised.

"It's a secret," I grin.

Just then Pearl, Teddy, and Piper come into frame. "Hey Hazel!" Teddy virtually shouts. "Guess what? We're having another child!"

"That's great!" I'm so happy for my brother and his mate. "So where's Quinn?"

"She went to visit Priya," replies Piper.

"Um…is Parker in the vicinity?" I ask.

"I can get him for you," says Piper. "He's next door with your friends: Eden, Chelsea, and Noah. Want me to bring them too?"

"Yes please," I say gratefully.

Piper leaves the frame.

"So where are you? Still in Malta?" asks Dad.

"I'd imagine somewhere in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea," I grin.

At my family's shocked looks, I describe the cruise trip.

"Major Monogram didn't mention anything about that," says Dad doubtfully.

"Don't worry, Barde's on board. He told Kata he brought some work with him so I'll be doing some snooping around tonight."

"Forget that: you're on a cruise ship!" Teddy's fidgeting with excitement. "What's it like?"

I describe my day, from the pool deck to shopping. "Tomorrow we're going to see the aquarium and the gym."

"Have fun," grins Teddy.

Piper comes back into frame and takes the iPad from Dad. "Alright, everybody out. Hazel wants to talk to her friends."

Grinning, my family leaves the screen. Almost immediately, Chelsea grabs the iPad and shakes it violently. "HAZEL!"

"Hi Chelsea," I giggle.

"How's life on the ocean wave? Any good shops?"

I'm about to reply when I hear Noah's sardonic voice say, "Chelsea, she is on a cruise vessel, not in a shopping mall."

"Actually, there are two shops."

I describe the boutique and the normal shop. I can see Chelsea practically drooling when I tell her about all the dresses in the shop. "I would _love_ a dress like that," she gushes.

I can't help smiling as I say, "Well then you're in luck. I bought you, Eden, and Piper a dress each."

Chelsea's shriek nearly shatters the iPad. "WHAT?"

Eden comes into frame and also yells, "WHAT?"

"Hi Eden," I laugh.

"Tell us everything!" Chelsea shakes the iPad again.

"Okay, you know your favourite movie, the one about the high school science teacher?"

"The one about the high school science teacher…" Chelsea thinks for a moment. "Oh, do you mean _Doof 101_?"

"Yes, that's it."

"That's a TV show, you 'nana."

"Oh…anyway, you know that part with the prom? You once said you absolutely loved that long, royal blue dress?"

She starts hyperventilating.

"I got you one that looks just like that."

Eden takes the iPad from Chelsea and grins. "I think you just broke Chels."

"I got you one too," I tell her. "It's white with pink flowers on it."

She beams. "Thank you, Hazel."

"I should go soon. Is Parker there?"

"Sure. You want some alone time?"

I ignore the mocking tone in Eden's voice and say, "Yes, please. Emphasis on _alone._ "

"Ouch. Well, okay, then. We're outta here."

Noah flies onto camera for a brief moment. "Come back soon, Hazel."

"Bye, Noah."

Parker's face comes on screen. "Hi, Hazel."

My heart does a flip and I automatically smile when I see his face. "Hello, Parker. How are you?"

"Good, thanks. Things have been a bit boring recently. I heard about your cruise trip, you must be having fun."

"I am…" I pause. "Would you say we're boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"What?"

I repeat the question. He considers this. "Sure, why not?"

"So we're a couple?" I persist. "A dating, romantic couple?"

"I guess. Why?"

"Then I have to tell you that I kissed someone else."

I say that in a rush and grimace, waiting for his reaction.

Parker just frowns and says, "Explain?"

"Well, there's two other pets here, one's called Xanthe and she's amazing and funny, and the other is called Jolyon and he's mature and fun-loving like me and a few hours ago we kissed," I say very quickly.

He pauses. "Do you love him?"

"Parker, you can't expect me to answer that!" I say in exasperation. "I don't even know if I love _you_ yet!"

"Okay, that wasn't a fair question. Let me rephrase: do you feel any kind of attraction towards him?"

I pause.

"Tell the truth," he adds.

Hanging my head, I say, "Yes."

"More than for me?"

"Right now, no. But I'm spending the next few months with him and I'm terrified of what will happen if that feeling of attraction grows."

Parker seems satisfied with that answer. He opens his mouth to say something else but I butt in and say, "I really am sorry that I kissed him."

"Oh, I'm not mad about that. As far as I'm concerned, we only officially became a couple two minutes ago. Before that, you were at perfect liberty to kiss whoever you want."

"But I-I said we were a couple," I wail. "Xanthe asked if Jolyon and I were a couple and I said yes!"

There's a pause at this.

"Please don't hate me," I whimper.

"I couldn't hate you, Hazel. No matter what."

Well, _that_ just makes me feel worse.

"What am I going to do?"

Parker exhales. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know!" I wail. "I don't know what my feelings are doing at the moment!"

"Then stay with him," Parker says. "If your feelings truly lie with him, then spending the next few months with him will reveal that to you. If they lie with me, then the next few months will prove it."

"I don't deserve you." I'm dangerously close to crying. "You're amazing, I don't deserve you."

"Well, I am amazing," grins Parker, which makes me giggle.

"I need to go," I say. "See you later."

Parker smiles. "I only want the best for you, Hazel. Whether that's with me or not. Bye."

The iPad clicks off. I clutch it to my chest, trying to think about what I want.

What _do_ I want?

…

 **Who ships HazelXParker? Who ships Hazel/Jolyon? Also, Doof 101!**


	16. Night Time part 2 of 2

**This chapter is going to be exclusively about Hazel being a badass spy :)**

…

 **Hazel's POV**

I leave my iPad in my room, where Xanthe and Jolyon are still sleeping, and sneak out again. I go to the stairs and instead of going down, I go up. I drop to all fours and slightly unfocus my eyes so if I'm discovered, I can pretend to be a mindless pet who wandered up there by accident.

The top floor of the ship looks much the same as the others. I don't see anyone up there until I peek into one of the rooms and see Eleanor with her back to me, on the phone. The room looks slightly bigger than our room but it's clearly a bedroom: there's a bed and a wardrobe. This must be where Eleanor's staying.

I make sure the voice recorder on my collar is activated, then I edge closer and listen to what she's saying.

 _I don't know what your problem is, but I'll need backup at some point! Mr Barde has got lots of troops here and they could strike at any moment._

It's only now that I'm able to place her accent: she's British.

 _I don't know if he suspects me but now I'm pretty sure his other assistant, Rachel Newman, is an undercover agent_ … _I don't know, she's American. She doesn't act like CIA or FBI but you never know._

Eleanor suspects Kata! And what does she mean by "I don't know if he suspects me"? Is Eleanor also an undercover agent? But despite my thoughts, I decide not to reveal myself just yet.

 _Barde sent us to buy a new platypus for him, and she was very insistent on this one particular one. We did buy her but I can't help wondering if the platypus herself is also a secret agent._

She's talking about me!

 _Hello? … Great._

She throws the phone at the bed. She turns slightly and catches sight of me. She blanches. _H-how much did you…?_ She sighs. _You're just a platypus. I bet you don't even understand English._

I shake my head. I wish I could talk to her but I can't talk English at the moment.

 _Wait…do you understand me?_

I nod.

 _Um…okay, when I say the word that's opposite to light, make that little chattering sound. Understand?_

I nod again.

 _Okay…_ She says several words before she says _dark._

I chatter.

 _Oh no…you do understand English…you heard my conversation?_

I nod for the third time.

She sighs and sits down on her bed. _Anyone could have heard my conversation. I'm such an amateur._

I jump onto the bed next to her and look up at her.

 _Yeah, I'm an undercover agent. Kitty Ataro, British Intelligence. My sister Angel's also here: she's posing as one of the assistants the boutique. She looks like me. Seen her?_

You know, I think I have. I thought she looked familiar!

I nod again.

 _Am I right in saying you're a secret agent too?_

I hesitate, and then I nod for the fifth time.

 _And Rachel?_

I chatter.

 _Well, at least I'm not the only one. Who're you with? Oh wait…you can't talk…well, at least tell me something: are you and Rachel are from the same organisation?_

Nod.

 _Right. Well, I'd better get back to work._ She stands up and goes to the door. Just before she goes out, she turns back to me and says, _Barde's in his office. Two doors down. I know he said you aren't allowed up here, but you are just a dumb animal who can't even understand English, after all._

The insult should sting but it doesn't. She's not insulting me, she's giving me a hint. The fact that really tipped me off was when she said "who can't even understand English" RIGHT after we established that I can in fact understand English.

On all fours, I rush to the door and look down the corridor. I go two doors down and nuzzle open the door. There's a cluttered desk in my line of sight, plus a desk chair and computer. There's also a bed, on which Barde is lying. He's snoring, clearly out cold. No wonder; there's a clock on the wall and it says the time is half past three in the morning.

I head quietly over to the computer. It's really old, the kind which runs on a hard disk. I take a USB stick from the desk and plug it into the computer. Luckily, it boots up without any noise, which is unusual for an old computer like that. I plug in the USB, which is empty, and load everything on the computer onto it. It doesn't matter what the file is, I copy it. I'd rather have a surplus of useless stuff than miss out on something important.

When the files finish loading, I take the USB stick out of the drive, but then I hear Barde stirring. Just about stopping myself from panicking, I leap down from the chair and curl up on the window seat, hiding the USB stick in my mouth. I close my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

 _Better get that sale done_ I hear him mutter. _Oh, Hazel!_

I hold my breath, my heart pounding. I can't tell if he sounds angry or just slightly exasperated. Please be the latter…

 _I don't know what I expected,_ says Barde, sighing. _You can't understand English, even though I told you not to come up here. Oh well…_

I almost die of relief. I open my eyes and immediately unfocus them, looking up at Barde. He grins at me. _You little troublemaker. Where's Eleanor or Rachel when you need her?_

He picks me up. Again, I have to fight down the natural urge to squirm out of his arms. It nearly makes me throw up, but I nuzzle against him, making him chuckle. _You really are adventurous, I'll give you that._

He puts me back down on the windowsill as his phone rings. He answers it, and I make sure my recording device is on.

 _Hello? … Yes, the sale is going to go through. … You want to know where I got it from? … Well, if you must know, it was a jewellery shop in Danville. … NO I don't know what it was called! I don't investigate the names of the jewellery shops I steal from!_

YES! That's a confession! And it's recorded on my device! All I have to do is give it to Kata, and she can use it against him!

 _Alright. Bye, now_.

He puts the phone away and turns back to me. _Well, Hazel, I'm going back to bed. You can stay if you want. Wait, why am I talking to the platypus as if it can understand me?_

If only you knew, Barde.

As soon as I'm confident Barde's asleep, I slip out of the room and run down the hallway. I intend to run straight back to my room and get some sleep, but I'm met by Eleanor on the stairs. _Hazel,_ she pants. _I'm not sure if you can understand this and I don't know if you'll be able to help anyway, but we have a problem. Barde's men have apprehended Rachel on the grounds of being a spy!_

…

 **And on that bombshell…I'm so mean I:} I:} I:}**

 **Author's Note: if anybody doesn't know who Kitty Ataro is, she's a reporter from London who joins MI6 with her sister, Angel Ataro; and brothers Noel and Deuce Lotus. Their stories are explored in my other fic A Dangerous Puzzle. They're all originally Professor Layton OCs but, like Diana Fay, they change shows a lot, seeing as in my stories Professor Layton and Phineas & Ferb take place in the same universe**


	17. Parker's Agony

**This chapter is short and, while it's not from Hazel's point of view, it is about her.**

…

 **Parker's POV**

I can't concentrate on anything I'm supposed to be doing so I get out a basic 200 piece jigsaw puzzle and attempt that. It's what I do when I can't focus. As I sort the edge pieces from the middle pieces, I feel a few tears drip down my face. I've had a crush on Hazel for years, ever since that maze incident three years ago and she helped save me.

I still remember when Jodie the Jaguar casually tossed the gun to my sister and ordered her to kill Hazel. That was when I first knew I had a crush on Hazel; I had felt a sudden rush of fear, the kind that I would not have felt had the person been someone I had not had romantic interest in.

When we kissed before Hazel left, I thought that was it. I thought _now we're a couple._ Even though I knew that Hazel hadn't confirmed it yet, I thought that we were now a couple.

Until a few minutes ago, when she told me that she kissed someone else.

I know now. I've lost her. I can't compete with someone that she's going to spend the next few months on a luxury cruise ship with. I don't even know this Jolyon, and yet I can tell he must be better for her than I am.

My chest feels like fire. I feel like I want to cry and cry and cry and never stop crying. I pick up two jigsaw puzzle pieces and slot them together, trying to imagine that it's me fixing my heart. It doesn't work, especially when I wipe the tears out of my eyes and find that those two pieces don't even go together.

I find myself cursing Perry and his family. They always have to break my family's hearts! First Mayfair with Teddy, now me with Hazel. Teddy toyed with Mayfair, made her feel like she had a shot, then he abandoned her and went with Piper. Now that's what's happened to me. I feel like Hazel was stringing me along this whole time; all the flirting and the kiss, just to meet someone else and kiss him without even thinking of me.

This must be how Mayfair felt when she realised that Teddy had chosen Piper.

Mayfair…I miss her so much. It's been three years and yet I still wake up every morning and hope to find her alive again. She died to save me, I know that, but sometimes I almost wish she hadn't.

I don't hate Hazel. I can't. I know I love her. I'm only eight years old but I'm sure I love Hazel. It's got to the point where everything she talks about is interesting; before she left, I would get up each morning and look forward to seeing her; when Hazel smiles or laughs, I smile or laugh too; whenever she's sad, I have this overwhelming desire to hug her better.

If that's not love, I don't know what is.

But I've lost her.

…

* **cries***


	18. Caught Kata

**Author's Note: The speech marks in this chapter are used to denote speaking English because it's between two humans. If Hazel appears but not with any humans, she is speaking platypus-ese.**

 **Also, there will be some mention of beatings in this chapter.**

…

 **Kata's POV**

My head, stomach, and legs all hurt, and I'm having trouble opening my bruised eyes. My hands are tied behind my back, my ankles are tied together, and I'm lying on my side on a carpet with my hair over my face.

Before this, I was sitting by the desk in my room, when something hit me on the head. I woke up about ten minutes ago, tied to a chair. No sooner had I woken up than at least two people had begun beating me until I was knocked out of the chair. Then they had left me alone to think.

Why was I down here? I must have given myself away somehow. But how?

Someone comes into the room. I can feel the vibrations through the floor. "Rachel Newman," says Barde's voice.

In my head, I use every swear word I know.

"Is that your real name?"

"No," I croak.

"Then what is your real name?" demands Barde.

I don't answer. I feel someone seize the collar of my shirt and lift me off the ground. My head lolls back, and through my black eyes I can just about see Barde's angry expression. "I'm not afraid to beat up a girl. Now tell me your name and who you're working for or I won't go easy on you."

"Go to hell."

Barde grins. "You first."

"Oh, I can't go to hell. I'm already there."

Barde throws me to the ground. Because I can't use my hands to cushion my fall, my neck jerks painfully back.

"Mr Barde!"

It's Eleanor's voice. Oh, please be able to stop him, Eleanor!

"What is it, Eleanor?" snaps Barde.

"Wh-what's going on? Why are you having Rachel beaten, sir?"

"She's a spy, Ellie."

She gasps. "Wh-what?"

"So you didn't suspect anything?"

 **Kitty's POV**

Damnit. Now I'm in a spot. I go for the safe answer of, "No, sir! What makes you think she's a spy?"

"I didn't entirely trust her so I had my men go through her phone. We found…well, let's just say a few incriminating calls and texts."

 **Kata's POV**

 _Damnit, Kata, I thought you were more professional than this!_ I chide myself.

But I've been working with him for five months now. Why has he chosen now to distrust me?

 **Hazel's POV**

I take the iPad back to the pool deck as fast as I can. It's quite a long way from where I was, but I have no choice. It's the only place guaranteed not to have anybody there, and I need to radio home for help.

After explaining the situation to Dad, he agrees to tell Major Monogram and ask for backup.

"Thanks," I say gratefully.

I go to turn the iPad off but then my dad says, "Hazel? Be careful. Stay safe."

"I will. See you soon."

 **Kitty's POV**

The obvious next question is "have you been through my phone too?" but I won't ask that because that'll surely tip off Barde. I have no idea what else to say so I go for shock. "B-but…! H-how…?"

Barde pushes me backwards and viciously kicks Rachel in the stomach. She jerks and rolls onto her back, which can't be comfortable because her hands are tied behind her back. "Is…is it really necessary to beat her like this, sir?"

"There's no other way to get her to talk," says Barde aggressively.

"I-um…"

There's no way I can save Rachel from a beating without giving myself away.

Unless…

"Sir, if I can get her to tell us everything, will you spare her from a beating?"

His eyes narrow. "Why do you care?"

"I worked with Rachel for five months, sir, and I don't want to see her beaten up."

He shrugs. "Fine. If you can get her to talk, I won't beat her anymore."

 **Kata's POV**

Eleanor bends down beside me and whispers in my ear, "I'm British Intelligence. I have backup coming. Just tell me your name and who you work for, because Barde's going to be arrested soon anyway."

I don't know if I can trust her so I decide to tell two slight lies. "My name's Kata Himura and I work for the CIA."

"Right, that's all I needed to know. Now when I stand up, act as if I've just told you something horrifying."

I feel her stand up so I quickly change my facial expression to one of horror.

 **Kitty's POV**

"Her name's Kata Himura and she works for the CIA," I tell Barde.

He looks at me suspiciously. "What exactly did you say to her?"

I plaster a smirk on my face, glad Barde can't see my heart pounding. "You don't want to know."

Barde looks down at Rachel—no, _Kata_ —and sees her horrified face. "No, frankly, I don't."

I almost physically breathe out in relief.

 **Hazel's POV**

I race down the hallway on all fours and find the room where Kata is. I can tell it's this one because Barde is coming out of it, his knuckles red. I feel sick with worry when I see that.

As the door closes, I sneak into the room. I see Kata lying on her side, beaten and bruised, her hands and ankles tied together. There's no-one else in the room.

Standing up on my hind legs, I run over to Kata and untie her. I think she's unconscious.

While trying to think of ways to keep her safe, I see the key in the door. I lock the door from the inside, and then I spot the vent. I break it open and, with one last look back at Kata, I go through.

…

 **Poor Kata :(**


	19. Two Familiar People

**Author's Note: although this story is not in the crossover category, some of my Professor Layton OCs appear. It's not in the crossover category because no characters from PL actually appear.**

…

 **Parker's POV**

I see the red light begin to flash before I hear the alarm.

I'm sitting in my office, staring into space, unable to concentrate on my work, when I see the red light flash. I hurriedly get up and rush towards the hangar area, where agents gather when there's an emergency. Sure enough, almost all the agents are there. I see Hazel's family, sans her mom, getting briefed by Carl.

Major Monogram comes up to me. "Agent Parker, have you seen your parents?"

"No, sir," I answer. "What's going on?"

"Agent Hazel needs backup," replies Monogram. "We're putting together a taskforce to go over and help her."

I salute and hold my hand there. "With all due respect, I think I should go."

This surprises Monogram. "Why?"

"I-I need to help Hazel."

"Very well then, Agent Parker, you can go."

"No you can't!"

My mom's voice sounds from behind me. I turn and see her and Dad coming towards me. "You're too young for this."

"Mom, I want to go."

"You're not going," Dad tells me.

"Dad!"

"You're not experienced enough for this mission," says Dad.

"Hazel is the love of my life!" I shout. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself, knowing that she needs help and I wasn't allowed to help her. Mom, Dad, I love Hazel. I care about her so much, and I need to help her. I'll stay away from the main fight, I promise, I just need to go and make sure she stays okay."

Mom and Dad exchange a look. Monogram looks like he's trying not to look smug.

"Please," I whisper. "Hazel…she means everything to me."

My parents simultaneously sigh. "All right, you can go," says Mom. "But you have to promise you'll stay away from conflict as much as possible."

"I will. I just need to find Hazel."

"Then that's settled," says Monogram. "You know…I was going to ask you two to come on the mission, Agent Harry and Agent Karen. Then you could keep an eye on him."

"Deal."

…

 **Hazel's POV**

The vent leads me to the boutique, to my surprise. The lights are out and there's nobody here, except for the assistant who looks a lot like Eleanor. What did she call her?

 _Oh, it's you,_ she says. _Hazel?_

I nod.

 _The one who can understand English._

I suddenly remember that emergency translator that is hidden in the iPad. I take out the iPad and slide the compartment back until I find the device. I put it on and make sure it's switched on.

( **Author's Note: from now on, "" means what it normally does)**

"Are you Angel Ataro?" I ask.

She looks stunned. I think it's because I'm talking English but it turns out not to be. "Y-you know who I am?"

"Your sister is posing as Eleanor. Kitty Ataro."

"She told you that?"

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"She's fine for now." I feel another stab of nausea. "But my friend isn't. Listen, I know this sounds weird, but I'm a secret agent. I came here to join Rachel Newman, who's actually my friend Kata Himura."

I realise too late that I called her by her maiden name but I have no time to correct myself, and anyway it's not that important right now.

"She's a secret agent too, but she's been exposed. She's in danger. Backup is coming but I need help. Are you a secret agent too?"

She nods. "British Intelligence. What do you need me to do?"

…

 **Noel's POV**

"I can't believe we got ourselves into this mess," sighs my younger brother.

We're in a helicopter, about to parachute down onto the cruise ship. Our girlfriends, Kitty and Angel, are in danger, and we know we need to help them.

"Me neither," I say. "But we just have to hope we land on the ship and not in the sea."

"Landing in the sea would be bad," agrees Deuce.

The green light comes on. Without a second thought, I leap out of the plane. Deuce follows behind me. We pull our parachutes together and, mercifully, land on the cruise ship. We take out three armed hostiles with our guns, before we realise where we are.

"Fish…?"

"This must be the aquarium," says Deuce quietly.

"Well _I_ think it's a restaurant," I say sarcastically.

"Less sarcasm, more action."

 **Deuce's POV**

Our handguns drawn, we head down the corridor. We don't meet anyone, which is slightly worrying. We explore that level of the ship until we get to the clothes shop and find…

"Angel!"

Noel runs to his girlfriend and hugs her tightly. I survey Angel: she's wearing what looks like a blue uniform and she looks quite worried.

"I'm so glad you're here, Noel," Angel says quietly.

"So this is where you were assigned?" I ask.

She nods. "Kitty was assigned to be Barde's personal assistant." She suddenly grips Noel's arms. "Guys, there's other agents here. The Americans have also placed two agents here."

"Two agents?" Noel repeats.

"Yeah, there's an agent called Kata Himura who's posing as Rachel Newman, Kitty's assistant. Then there's an animal agent."

"An animal agent," I repeat incredulously. "They exist?"

"Yes, this one is a platypus called Hazel. You'll just have to trust me on this, okay?"

"We do trust you," Noel says with a glare at me, as if challenging me to contradict him.

I hold my hands up. "Of course we do. So where is Hazel?"

"She went to find her own people, who are coming soon."

"Good, more backup," I say approvingly. "We need that, especially since those dumbasses back in MI6 only felt the need to send a dozen people, not including us."

All of a sudden, the ship rocks and the unmistakable sound of gunfire fills the air. Our faces grim, I throw Angel a spare gun. Then the three of us head to the door.

…

 **More action next chapter! Which will most likely be the penultimate chapter :(**


	20. The Climax

**Author's Note: mentions of blood and death in this chapter.**

 **Also, welcome to the penultimate chapter of Hazel's Mission! *cries***

 **Hazel's POV**

A gunfight has erupted in the corridor.

Dodging bullets, I hide behind an upturned table. Luckily, nobody is firing directly at me.

There are about a dozen men dressed in lightweight riot gear, against about the same number of men dressed in casual gear. That's how I can tell them apart. I'm not sure who these riot guys are, but perhaps they're the backup that Kitty mentioned. All I know for certain is that they're fighting the bad guys, so they must at least be _kind of_ good guys, right?

One man from each side suddenly engages in a fistfight. The good guy pushes the bad guy into one of the rooms in the corridor and then follows. Three of the bad guys, still shooting bullets, run into the room and hide behind various pieces of furniture.

The clock on the wall that I get a brief glimpse of as I run through the door says that the time is now four in the morning. I'm not tired though; with all the adrenaline coursing through my blood, I've never felt more alive.

As I hide behind one of the beds, I realise with a jerk that this is our room. Which means…

Xanthe and Jolyon! I've completely forgotten about them!

"Hazel…!" comes a husky call.

I turn round to see my two friends, huddled behind the bed opposite. They both look terrified. I know that this must be very shocking for them, seeing as neither is accustomed to seeing this violence. I do a forward roll to dodge the bullets and end up on their side.

 _Hazel, what on earth is going on?_ whispers Jolyon.

For a moment, I wonder why he's speaking platypus-ese, but then I remember. From under the bed, I pull out two more translators (Kata told me once that they would be there if we needed them) and give them to my friends. They put on the translators without any questions but as soon as they're able to speak English, Jolyon snaps, "Seriously, what the hell is going on? What is this thing?"

"You're speaking in English, Jolyon. That's a translator. It allows you to speak and understand English."

"Whoa…if I wasn't totally terrified right now, I would consider this the coolest thing ever," says Xanthe, staring at her own translator.

"There's no time to explain in full, but I'm a secret agent. My organisation believed he was stealing jewels and selling them on the black market so I was sent here undercover as a pet like you to monitor Barde's activity and find proof."

They're staring at me. Jolyon looks incredibly hurt. I try not to feel too guilty yet.

"And now, all hell has broken loose, so we need to get you two out of here."

"Lead the way," says Xanthe shakily.

I grip Jolyon's and Xanthe's wrists and crouch down, listening to the continuing gunfire. "When I give the signal, run as fast as you can."

I wait until there's a lull in the firing, and then I yell, "NOW!"

We all run out of our hiding spot and out into the hall. A lot of the men are dead. I can see bodies from both sides littering the room and the hall. Xanthe nearly throws up.

"I'm getting you out of here, don't worry."

We run round the corner and find myself face-to-face with…

"DAD!"

I let go of my friends and hug my dad fiercely. "Hazel, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Tears threaten my vision. "I can't believe you're here. I-I need you to take my friends to safety."

Dad looks over at Xanthe and Jolyon. I see him raise an eyebrow but he doesn't argue or ask questions. "I will. Just stay safe, okay?"

"You too, Dad. Wait, who else is coming?"

"Practically all the agents of OWCA," Dad replies. "Including Parker."

"Parker's coming?"

That makes my heart leap. He really does care about me! But this complicates things further. Do I choose to be with Parker or Jolyon? I love both of them…

"Hey, Hazel!" comes a familiar voice.

"Teddy!"

We hug.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reply. "How about you?"

"Going to be a father for the second time, so I'm great," Teddy grins.

"I've just got a message from Major Monogram," says Dad. "They've found the room that Kata is in but it's locked from the inside."

"Ah. That'd be me. Don't worry, we can go in through the vent."

"Then you two do that while I take your friends back. Be careful, though. There're some British agents on the ship too."

I go to Xanthe and Jolyon. "You two need to go with my dad. He'll take you to safety."

Jolyon kisses me on the cheek. "Be safe, Hazel."

"You too."

They run off with Dad. I turn to Teddy, glad that he was the one who witnessed that small kiss instead of Parker. "Let's go."

As we run off, he comments, "so that's your other love interest? Reminds me a bit of Piper."

"Teddy, I have a problem. My heart is in love with both Parker and Jolyon, and I have no idea who to choose. What do you think I should do?"

"Dad gave me some advice once: follow your heart."

I stop dead in the middle of the corridor. Teddy doesn't notice until the end of the corridor, then he comes back. "What?"

"Did you miss the part where I said my heart is in love with both of them and I don't know who to choose?"

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't really listening."

I shove him into the wall. "You're the worst big brother ever."

"Thanks."

 **Kitty's POV**

I've been reunited with Angel, and we're currently trying to get into the room that Kata is in. I'm worried about her quite a lot. We can't kick the door down because it's metal and it has a hard lock.

Suddenly, the door opens. Standing there is Hazel and another platypus with green fur. My friends stare down at them but I muscle my way in and pick up the still-unconscious Kata.

"We need to take her to safety," I say.

"There's a ship outside," the other platypus tells me. "By the way, I'm Teddy. Hazel's brother."

"That's great but there's no time for proper introductions."

 **Angel's POV**

"We've got Barde!" comes a voice in my ear.

"Noel?" I say into my earpiece.

"Yeah, Deuce and I have found him and tranquilised him. We're bringing him in now."

"They've got Barde," I tell the group. "We've won."

"Yes!" hisses Kitty, pumping the air.

…

 **Parker's POV**

I wander the corridors, yelling Hazel's name. I can't find her, and I need to make sure she's okay.

I see her at the end of the corridor. She's with Teddy, her brother. I start towards her but then I see an armed hostile taking aim at her from inside one of the rooms. She hasn't noticed.

"Hazel!" I scream, running towards her.

All thoughts of things other than Hazel have been put out of my mind. All I can think about now is my overwhelming need to protect her. I jump in front of her just as the gun fires. I feel the bullet pierce my stomach as I crash to the ground.

"NO!" screams Hazel's voice, sounding incredibly anguished.

The pain is immense and fiery. It's almost too much for me to bear. I know I'm going to die. At least I died for the girl I loved.

The last thing I hear before my eyes close forever is Hazel's voice screaming, "PARKER!"

…

 **Mother of all cliffhangers, amirite? Also, general notice, don't assume that Parker has survived. After all, if he were to die, Hazel's choice would be considerably easier, right? *le wink***


	21. The End Is Just The Beginning

**Well, I think you've all suffered enough I:} also, this is the last chapter :(**

 **This chapter takes place the day after the last one ended.**

 **Hazel's POV**

I scream as I sit up in bed, sweating and gasping. I put my hand over my heart, trying to calm the pounding. It's always the same in these nightmares: Parker getting shot right in front of me and dying.

My mate rolls over in bed and opens his eyes, looking at me. "Hazel, are you okay?"

I can't speak through the crying.

"A nightmare?"

"I see it clearly," I sob. "And I don't want to. It's been haunting me ever since it happened."

"I know."

He hugs me comfortingly. "Do you want to go back to sleep?"

I shake my head. "I need some air."

"I'll come with you."

I get out of bed, my heart still pounding, and tiptoe down the stairs so as to not wake anyone else. My mate follows me.

I'm never going to get tired of calling him that. My mate. It feels nice.

We go out into the moonlight. The cool air helps calm me down. We sit down together on the bench outside the house, where my mate takes my hand, interlocking our fingers.

"I'm glad you're here with me," I tell him. "I'm just really glad."

"Me too," he smiles.

"Oh, by the way, you know my brother's mate's brother?"

"Luke? I've never met him, but yeah?"

"Well I've kind of volunteered for us to look after his child while Luke and Kimi go on a well-needed date night."

"Really?"

"Is that bad?"

"No, not at all. What's her name?"

"Lokie. She's a one-year-old platypus but apparently she's really mischievous."

"Great," he grins. "What have we let ourselves in for now?"

I match his grin and lean into the crook of his shoulder. He puts his arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder.

The moonlight is illuminating the area so we're not completely blind. We sit together like that, in the cool breeze, until I say, "I'm ready to go back inside now."

"Alright."

We go back into our bedroom and settle into bed. We face the same way as he puts his arms around me. I subconsciously smile as he says, "Goodnight Hazel."

"Goodnight, Parker."

…

 **Jolyon's POV**

I settle into bed. Across from me, I can hear Xanthe snoring.

We've kindly been put up for a while with Hazel's dad's friends: Peter the Panda and Patty the Panda. They live with Pinky the Chihuahua, Victoria the Dalmatian, Harry the Hyena, and Karen the Cat. I must admit, it unnerves me a little to share a house with my old girlfriend's new mate's parents.

Naturally I was heartbroken when Hazel told me that she was choosing Parker, but I understood. We hadn't spent enough time together for there to be a proper spark. Besides, I saw her face when Parker was recovering in a hospital bed from his wound. It was just lucky that he has tough skin or he wouldn't have survived, according to the doctor. Apollo, was his name? Anyway, seeing the incredible worry on Hazel's face, coupled with the fact that she barely left his side, told me that I had already lost.

And I don't mind. I'm just happy I still get to spend some time with her. Xanthe and I are joining OWCA. We have to go through the training first, and Peter and Patty have offered to train us. I'm glad we have someone to look out for us.

…

 **Parker's POV**

As I slowly drift off to sleep, I hear Hazel mutter in her sleep, "Parker…don't…don't go…"

"I'm right here," I reassure her in a whisper.

 **Hazel's POV**

I roll over in bed to face Parker, who's now facing the other way. I smile and hug him from behind. It took a while, but now…

I'm happy.

…

 ***cries* it's the end :( but also Parker and Hazel are together, aww :)**

 **Thank you to Nightflame203 who's been reviewing every chapter, and thank you to anyone reading this story in the future :)**


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